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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25669987">La Mesa</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arowen12/pseuds/Arowen12'>Arowen12</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body Horror, Dissociation, Found Family instead, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Klaus Hargreeves Has PTSD, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus and his powers, Klaus doesn't start a cult, M/M, Original Character(s), Possession, the ones the show keeps ignoring plus a few more</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:22:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>44,757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25669987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arowen12/pseuds/Arowen12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus doesn't start a cult, he lands in that alleyway alone, he picks himself up and only bemoans his chance in life a little bit. Klaus doesn't travel the world, doesn't quote songs that aren't written yet, he finds a little street and a little restaurant and for once in his life, he stays; some supernatural things also happen too.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves, Dave/Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1009</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone, I'm here with another Umbrella Academy fic, wasn't sure I was ever going to write for this fandom again but well a few things about the season pissed me off so here we are. Namely, Klaus, what happened to his character development? His powers? His relationship with Ben? Anyways, that's why this is here, this is inspired by The Montague Street Doctor by the Circus on FF.net (one of the only Sherlock fics I like). I hope you all enjoy, read on.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus falls through the portal… wormhole? Thing. The thing. And immediately meets the harsh concrete of the alleyway below with a resounding <em>thud</em>. That thud is immediately followed by a low groan and the idea that perhaps it would just be better to lie here for a while.</p><p>But then it all sort of rushes back and Klaus jerks upwards glancing at his surroundings.</p><p>An alleyway. How exciting.</p><p>Specifically, an alleyway lacking his siblings. Klaus groans and staggers upwards to his feet, one hand instantly snapping up to his chest. He exhales raggedly at the feel of Dave’s dog tags, the metal warm against his chest and the familiar feel of Dave’s name rubbed into his fingers.</p><p>He glances around before calling out, “Ben?”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>“Allison? Five? Vanya?”</p><p>Still nothing.</p><p>“Ben!” Klaus calls out whirling around to glance at the alleyway, it’s a dingy place with a few fliers tucked into the corners, smashed beer bottles, and old cigarettes. God, he could go for a cigarette right about now.</p><p>But first responsibilities. Namely where and when.</p><p>Klaus stumbles out of the alleyway and winces at the harsh light of the sun overhead, he glances down the street. An old-style movie theatre, a diner, a bank, what did he walk onto the set of a movie from the fifty’s?</p><p>Klaus stumbles unable to tear his eyes away from the (fashionable) clothing around him. Its… its very vintage.</p><p>There’s a newspaper stand and Klaus barely skims the headlines before he sees the date, or rather, more importantly, the year 1960.</p><p>Well fuck.</p><p>Great.</p><p>This is great. Klaus backs away from the newspaper and into a man with a very fashionable suit who glowers at Klaus. He’s a bit busy having a crisis and ignores that issue until his back hits a brick wall and he can sink to the ground.</p><p>Right okay. What were they supposed to do if they were stranded?</p><p>Take stock of their surroundings.</p><p>In the ’60s in Dallas Texas. Check.</p><p>What does he have with him? Dog tags, some spare change hardly even five dollars, a stick of gum, and one of Diego’s knives which he stole oh three months ago. Funny that.</p><p>Where are his allies or in this case siblings? Who knows?</p><p>Okay think Klaus, either they’re all dead. In which case he might be able to summon them. They’re already here somewhere in separate locations so he’ll have to try and find them. They’re not here yet and Klaus is the only one here at least for a little while. Or they’re trapped in separate time periods and Klaus will probably need to look at a history book sometime in the near future. Yay.</p><p>Oh, and Ben.</p><p>Maybe all those theories apply or maybe, just maybe ghosts can’t travel in time.</p><p>Does that mean he’s finally flounced (Ben doesn’t flounce he just walks, it’s boring) on up to heaven through that great light white at the end of the tunnel, or however the saying goes?</p><p>Klaus should feel happy, shouldn’t he? If Ben’s finally gone on to rest, finally left Klaus alone for a goddamn moment, he should feel happy.</p><p>Then why does he feel more alone than ever?</p><p>Come on, he’s done this before, the whole time-travel thing, and last time Ben wasn’t there, last time Klaus was in a warzone. He just needs to pick himself up and keep moving, that’s what he always does, put on a smile and keep moving.</p><p>Doesn’t matter if the world is shit or will be.</p><p>He’ll just stick nearby and hope one of them turns up and not in the haunting sort of way.</p><p>Christ, he could use a cigarette.</p><p>With a muffled groan, his body is apparently really not happy about being tossed around by Vanya and the whole end of the world thing and uh oh yeah manifesting Ben (!), Klaus rises to his feet.</p><p>There are still people walking up and down the street, going about their days as if nothing is wrong. They don’t even know about what’s going to happen in the future, they don’t know what’s going to happen to Kennedy in just three years.</p><p>Klaus scrubs a hand over his face still leaning against the wall behind him, he gets a few concerned looks but most people don’t want to deal with some stranger; people like to play at the illusion of concern but when it actually comes to action, most people will hesitate and make excuses.</p><p>Right. Where to first?</p><p>Uh.</p><p>Cigarettes. Right.</p><p>Klaus sets off down the street idly glancing down at his own clothes, which are maybe a touch too modern. Maybe he’ll get to experiment a bit, the ’60s did have some excellent fashion. What else did they have? Lava lamps. Abba? No, that’s later.</p><p>There’s a convivence store up ahead and Klaus veers off into it.</p><p>He steps out a moment later staring at the pack of cigarettes which were 40 cents. The colours on the box are bright, heck everything around here is bright, from the clothing to the man bleeding bright red down his shirt at the end of the street.</p><p>Klaus sticks a cigarette in his mouth and resolutely wanders down a side street.</p><p>He wanders for a while.</p><p>It’s almost similar to when he was on the streets, scrounging for change or sleeping off a high in the back of an alleyway. Almost. But at every corner he’s confronted by bright news advertisements and technology that feels ancient.</p><p>At one point he walks into a used clothing store and trades what he has for something a bit more local and a touch warmer.</p><p>Then he’s wandering again.</p><p>He thinks a lot, finally has a moment to process a few things on his own without the imminent threat of the world ending. He thinks about Vanya, years of her emotions suppressed, that fricking chamber in the basement. He tries not to think too hard on that one because then he’ll start thinking of the mausoleum.</p><p>He thinks about Dave, tries to separate Dave from Vietnam and think of nights in the streets tripping from bar to bar, but he can’t and the sound of gunfire, the whirr of the helicopters overhead, the blood, the mud, all begins to creep in.</p><p>Klaus could save him. Couldn’t he?</p><p>Isn’t that what happens in time-travel movies, they go back and save their love ones and then it messes up the timeline horribly. At this point, Klaus is pretty certain the timeline is going to get messed up no matter what.</p><p>Still, he couldn’t not save Dave. Even if, even if it meant they would never meet, Dave doesn’t deserve that.</p><p>For a while he doesn’t think about much, just tries to remember all he can of their history lessons but if he’s being honest, Klaus tuned most of those out high out of his mind or sleeping off a hangover.</p><p>It would be really helpful if Ben was here.</p><p>Before Klaus really realises it, he has one cigarette left and it’s gotten dark. There are only the fluorescents of the shop signs and the shaky glow of the street lamps to light anything and whoever said the ’60s was a safer time was probably lying.</p><p>But its not like he hasn’t done this before, high out of his mind and stumbling from one place until the next. He used to have a little corner under one of the bridges, it was tight and cold and usually reminded him of the Mausoleum but no one would bother him there.</p><p>He used to stash all of his stuff there, what little he took from the Academy when he left.</p><p>It’s probably gone now.</p><p>“Are you lost?” A voice calls out suddenly and Klaus jerks glancing at his surroundings. He’s in a poorer neighbourhood if the state of the buildings are any indication, apartment buildings that look like they might keel over any moment and peeling storefronts.</p><p>There’s a restaurant tucked into the corner of one of the buildings, it has a small outdoor patio with a few tables where Klaus can see older men drinking beers, the sign is red, and in peeling script proclaims <em>La Mesa.</em></p><p>“I’m talking to you over there pretty boy,” The same voice comes again and this time Klaus identifies the speaker, its an older woman, she has tanned skin, a head of white hair bundled up into a braid, and is wearing a simple dress with an apron on over it.</p><p>Klaus points at himself and the woman nods.</p><p>Walking closer, and subsequently, into the warm yellow light of the restaurant, Klaus shrugs, “Sort of. I mean I definitely have no idea where I am right now other than uh Dallas?”</p><p>One of the men at the tables laughs swirling his glass of beer he mutters something in a voice too low for Klaus to catch.</p><p>The woman, who up close Klaus can see has crows’ feet at the corners of her eyes and a truly beautiful smile shakes her head and says, “Why don’t you come for a seat, have some food and we can see about directions.”</p><p>“I really don’t have all that much money,” Klaus protests gently, listen he’s perfectly fine spending a night on the streets. Tomorrow he’ll… well, he’ll do something.</p><p>The woman shakes her head and replies, “Nonsense, come inside, there’s a chill tonight.”</p><p>Klaus gets the sense that no isn’t really an option in this situation.</p><p>He follows her inside. The inside of <em>La Mesa</em> is full of wooden tables and chairs with glass paneled lights that cast a warm rosy glow over anything. There are a few patrons settled at the tables and even fewer at the bar which is where the woman leads him to.</p><p>Klaus slides onto the barstool, which is very comfy, and the woman slides him a glass of water and says, “I’m Maria.”</p><p>“Klaus.”</p><p>“German?” She asks raising a brow as she bustles back and forth, there’s another waitress in a red dress who is serving the few customers.</p><p>“Maybe?” Klaus shrugs and takes a sip of his water before replying, “My father adopted me, wasn’t particularly forthcoming with any details.”</p><p>Maria nods studying him with keen eyes as she wipes down the bar, Klaus supposes its kind of late.</p><p>“So, what are you here for in Dallas Klaus?”</p><p>“Not sure really. I uh was supposed to arrive with my siblings but… well we got separated,” Klaus replies shaking his head a little, that’s one way to put it he supposes.</p><p>Maria nods turning around to stack a few glasses as she adds, “How many?”</p><p>“Well uh used to be seven of us, only six now,” Klaus replies and the words still stick a bit in his throat so he takes a sip of water to swallow them down. He can hear music in the background and a part of him wants to get up and dance, wants to get up and forget everything.</p><p>“Your poor father,” Maria responds with a laugh that Klaus returns with an uneasy smile.</p><p>“You wouldn’t say that if you knew him.”</p><p>“Maybe so. I have two sisters and I had a brother died in the war,” Maria replies with a shrug sliding a drink to another customer.</p><p>“I’m sorry for your loss,” Klaus replies gently.</p><p>“It was the war these things happen to young men, I’m sorry for your loss as well Klaus,” Maria responds settling a hand over his own, her hand is lined with age and worn with hard work and on her left hand there’s a tarnished gold wedding band.</p><p>“Yeah they do,” Klaus replies quietly before he responds, “It’s alright it was a long time ago.”</p><p>“So, what are your siblings doing in Dallas?” Maria asks conversationally, another server appears and sets down a plate of tamales before him.</p><p>Klaus opens his mouth to protest but at a look from Maria settles for, “Thank you. I – it’s a bit of a mess really. We were getting away from some family issues, taking a bit of a vacation really.”</p><p>Maria’s eyes are sharp where they study Klaus for a long moment before she nods and asks, “Do you have a place to stay tonight, Klaus?”</p><p>“I was just going to find a motel probably,” Klaus replies, a bit of a lie he was going to find a nice alleyway. He takes a bite of the tamales, which are frankly amazing, and resolutely doesn’t glance up at Maria.</p><p>Maria gives him a bland disbelieving look and Klaus does his best to look innocent.</p><p>“Tell you what Klaus, you can sleep on my couch tonight, you help me with the morning shift tomorrow and we’ll see about finding your siblings,” Maria responds planting her hands on her hips and raising a brow.</p><p>“Are you sure? I could be a murderer,” Klaus responds gesturing with his hands. Hey, it’s a possibility,</p><p>Maria rolls her eyes, “You don’t strike me as a murderer Klaus. Think about it chico, but it helps me too, Jen from up the street had to call in sick tomorrow anyway.”</p><p>Klaus stares at Maria for a long moment before he asks, “Do I get to wear the red dress.”</p><p>“I don’t know if you could pull it off.”</p><p>“I could!” Klaus protests, “I’ll have you know I once wore socks with sandals and got complimented on it.”</p><p>Maria just laughs, “Finish your tamales.”</p><p>Klaus does, he watches as Maria bustles around the bar as she sets steaming plates on tables and speaks to the customers with a warm smile that lights up her whole face. Slowly, the place begins to empty out until it’s only Klaus sitting at the bar with the server beside him, a woman with brown and skin and black hair tugged up into a bun behind her head, and the cooks trailing out of the kitchen for a glass to finish the night.</p><p>Maria settles on the barstool beside Klaus with a huff and reaches out for the bottle pouring herself a glass she complains, “My feet are killing me.”</p><p>“My everything is killing me,” Klaus retorts eyeing the bottle of alcohol for a long, long moment before he lets his head thunk on the table. For Dave. For his siblings, if they’re… for his siblings.</p><p>“Had a long day?” Sasha, the other server asks eyeing him with no small amount of pity.</p><p>Klaus glances at her and replies, “Longest week of my life.”</p><p>“I’ll drink to that,” Maria replies and downs the rest of her glass before rising to her feet, “Sasha you good to lock up?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah you get home abuela,” Sasha says with an easy smile and a wave of her hand. There’s a chorus of goodbyes from the cooks as Klaus rises to his feet, his body vividly protesting the movement; he’s had worse.</p><p>“Come on Klaus, don’t keep an old woman waiting,” Maria says and Klaus drags his feet wanting a bed or even a nice patch of alleyway.</p><p>The air outside is cool and the door doesn’t shut properly behind them as Maria tugs on a coat and swings her purse over her shoulder. With a little tilt of her head, she begins walking down the street under the flickering streetlamps.</p><p>Klaus glances up once at the moon half shrouded by clouds, wondering if this is some sort of cosmic joke from the prepubescent teen in the sky, before he follows behind.</p><p>“Angel used to walk me home, my son, but he’s off at school now,” Maria confesses with a shrug of her shoulders as they walk, “He’s studying to become an engineer, wants to help put people on the moon.”</p><p>“We’ll do it,” Klaus says and thinks <em>oops </em>because that is totally going to mess up the time continuum somehow. Who trusted Klaus with time?</p><p>Maria laughs, “Oh I’m sure it’ll happen one day, whether I’ll live to see it,” she laughs and waves her hand, “It’s just up here.”</p><p>“Do you have any other children?” Klaus asks, glancing down the alleyways where a few men are lurking menacingly. Fun.</p><p>“A daughter, she’s married now. Gabriel always wanted more but the cancer took him fast,” Maria says her voice dipping to something soft and sad.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I lost my partner as well,” Klaus responds as Maria comes to a halt in front of a rickety old building with bricks that might once have been painted a bright colour but are now just a dull red.</p><p>“We move on, we keep living,” Maria replies with a smile and pats Klaus’ hand, “Home sweet home, come along.”</p><p>The inside of the building is a bit dank and the carpet is old even for the ’60s but it has that sense of home that the Academy never achieved. Maria leads Klaus down a hallway on the ground floor and pushes open the door.</p><p>It’s cluttered, with a great behemoth of a couch in the living room, green walls, and basically all the old 50’s décor one could dream of. It’s also unmistakeably a home, with pictures of Maria’s children and husband, little knick-knacks, salt shakers, pieces of art tacked to the fridge.</p><p>Maria bustles inside hanging up her coat and darting into the small kitchen, humming under her breath. Klaus glances into the kitchen, hovering beside Maria is the ghost of a man in a business suit with thinning hair, he’s smiling watching his wife as she settles her purse on the counter.</p><p>“You must be tired I’ll get you some blankets,” Maria says glancing up at Klaus. He opens his mouth, maybe to tell her, offer to do something, but she bustles off before he can respond.</p><p>She appears a moment later with a stack of blankets thicker than Luther which she plops into his arms, “Thanks, really.”</p><p>“We all need help sometimes, I help you, you help me,” Maria responds with a shrug and a smile.</p><p>Klaus nods and steps out of the kitchen. He eyes the couch for a long moment, but well beggars can’t be choosers. Spreading the blankets out like mom always used to do, he lays on the couch and stares at the popcorn ceiling in the dim light.</p><p>The others will show up.</p><p>Ben will be back.</p><p>He rolls over and tries to sleep through the faint sound of helicopters flying overhead, and the feel of Dave’s blood on his hands.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, I'm here with another chapter! A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter! This chapter starts to move into the plot a little bit. I've thought about it and I probably won't get to writing actual canon (I really don't want to deal with the logistics of time travel and the season as a whole). Anyways, read on and enjoy!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mud sucks at Klaus’ boots, a thick squelching sound even early in the morning, or perhaps because its so goddamn early, he glances over his shoulder at Dave, who grins, the whites of his teeth peering out from his mud smeared face. Suddenly, gunfire erupts and they drop to the ground.</p><p>They’re in the trenches, a <em>boom</em> somewhere down the line as a shell lands. Klaus flinches his ears ringing as he glances to Dave, he has his gun pointing over the trench and beyond the bullets whistling through the air and the pouring rain he can hear the ghosts screaming.</p><p>Then there’s blood on his hands.</p><p>Scully’s? Who has a wife at home and a little boy who will never get to meet his father.</p><p>John, with the lazy eye, who likes to say no one will miss him, but they will.</p><p>Dave. Oh God Dave. Smiling up at him, the little dimple in the corner of his smile, and the hole in his chest, blood staining Klaus’ hands. He cries for a medic, there’s no one nearby. There never is. Then he’s gone.</p><p>Klaus jerks roughly awake gasping for breath and clawing at his chest for the phantom sensation of a bullet, scrubbing at his hands as if it will rid them of the blood, he knows isn’t there but can still see.</p><p>He can’t breathe.</p><p>Klaus attempts to suck in another harsh lungful of air but his body refuses to comply and all he can hear is the roar of the helicopter blades overhead, feel the damp air and the rain pressing, pressing onto his skin, and Dave’s blood on his hands.</p><p>“Klaus,” A voice says and for one moment he thinks its Ben, Ben who attempted to comfort him that night afterwards, who’s hands slipped through his shoulders cold as ice and enough to shock him back to reality.</p><p>“You’re okay chico,” The voice says again and Klaus blinks attempting to clear his vision, he can feel hands on his shoulders, warm and calloused, and the soft sound of someone else breathing.</p><p>“Maria?” Klaus questions his voice groggy and rough, basically sounding terrible, as his surroundings finally come into focus. Maria is perched on the edge of the couch, her hair tangled about her shoulders, and in a dressing gown as she studies him with concern.</p><p>“You alright chico?” Maria asks gently she pulls her hands back and settles them in her lap rubbing her thumbs together.</p><p>“Would you believe me if I said yes?” Klaus responds with a shaky grin shifting upwards and dragging a hand over his face. He can still feel Dave’s blood on his hands, hot and tacky, or the mud sticking to his skin like a second layer.</p><p>Maria laughs and shakes her head reaching out to pat his knee she asks, “Korea?”</p><p>“Uh yeah,” Klaus replies quietly, Vietnam actually, picking at the fraying threads of the blanket.</p><p>Maria just nods glancing at a clock on the wall and then out the window, where Klaus can just see the first rays of early morning sunshine slanting onto the street below and the rickety old buildings. In the light, they look washed out, almost grey.</p><p>“Well,” Maria pats her thighs and rises to her feet, “No use sleeping for another fifteen minutes. I’ll find you some clothes to wear, Angel is about your size, then we can get to work. You going to be able to handle it, Klaus?”</p><p>“I was born ready to handle it,” Klaus responds cockily with a bravo he doesn’t feel; mostly he just feels tired.</p><p>“The bathroom’s down the hallway on the left,” Maria says with a wave of her hand before she disappears down said hallway followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. Klaus sits on the couch for a long moment inhaling the faint scent of something, maybe breakfast?</p><p>Slapping his face, he mutters to himself, “Come on you can do this Klaus, you don’t need a motivational ghost.”</p><p>The thing is he kind of does.</p><p>Pushing himself off the couch, Klaus sways for a moment, time travel is apparently pretty hard on the body, it doesn’t help that his body’s been through Hell since like forever. After the world’s finally stopped spinning, Klaus stumbles his way into the bathroom.</p><p>He peers at himself in the mirror, his hair’s a tangled mess about his head, there are deep bags under his eyes, and he looks about two steps away from death’s door; so good as always then.</p><p>Klaus splashes water over his face and inhales forcing the lingering dredges of the memory away.</p><p>A few moments later he steps out of the bathroom and into the living room, he can see Maria in the kitchen and he tugs at the colour of his shirt with a faint grimace. The clothes fit, which is about the only thing they have going for them, they’re a few sizes too big and in dull colours, kind of dull overall.</p><p>But hey clothes.</p><p>Maria glances up from where she’s flipping an egg and grins, she doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t have to. Klaus glares at her and settles at the table with a huff crossing his arms over his chest.</p><p>She just laughs plating one egg before she says, “Do you have any experience being a waiter, Klaus?”</p><p>“A bit,” Klaus replies with a shrug, thinking of odd end jobs in the shitty part of town, “But most places just couldn’t handle me.”</p><p>Or his clumsiness, or the… well, everything.</p><p>Maria just nods bless her and plates the other egg bringing the two plates to the table and setting one in front of Klaus.</p><p>“Tu hablas español?” Maria asks as she cuts around the white of her egg.</p><p>Klaus doesn’t hesitate to plunge his piece of toast right into the yolk as he responds, “Un poco.”</p><p>Maria just nods and they eat in silence for a few minutes interrupted only by the clink of their forks scraping against the plates. Maria hums along to the radio which drifts softly in the background and for the first time in a hell of a week, Klaus can just breathe.</p><p>He takes the plates to the sink when they’re finished and washes them quickly, eyes darting around the kitchen, hovering on Gabriel who watches his wife with a fond smile, before he forces his gaze back to the sink.</p><p>“Ready to go?” Maria asks throwing her purse over her shoulder and adjusting her jacket, Klaus nods and follows along behind her into the hallway.</p><p>There’s a bald white man, with a protruding gut, and gold chains, in the entranceway, he smiles at Maria, not a particularly pleasant smile and asks, “Who’s this?”</p><p>“One’s of Angel’s friends, just staying the night Mr. Wood,” Maria replies in a no-nonsense sort of tone, smiling pleasantly the whole time.</p><p>Mr. Wood nods with a frown and Klaus waves cheerily before following Maria out into the street.</p><p>The air is warm with a pleasant breeze and when Klaus glances up the sky is blue with a few puffy clouds. Maria huffs rummaging through her purse she mutters, “I swear that man,” she glances at Klaus, “He is always looking for a tenant out, even ones who’ve stayed fifteen years.”</p><p>Klaus glances behind him at the building and says, “It’s not even that nice!” Maria laughs and Klaus quickly adds, “I mean your apartment, of course, is very lovely, very grandma chic.”</p><p>Maria raises a brow and Klaus thinks <em>right</em> slang very different. Oh well, the space continuum will probably survive an old lady hearing slang from the future.</p><p>“So, uh do you own <em>La Mesa</em>?” Klaus asks firmly ignoring the ghost of a little girl at the other end of the street. Nope. Not today thank you.</p><p>He’s also going to ignore how famous the 60s were for drugs. Then he doesn’t have to think about it.</p><p>Maria nods waving to a man watering his garden she replies, “Gabriel bought it and we fixed it up about ten years ago,” Maria smiles, “Before that, I used to work in a food processing factory, Gabriel worked at a car plant.”</p><p>“Wow, that’s really great. Did you both uh immigrate to America?” Klaus asks, up ahead he can see the washed-out sign and the chairs neatly stacked on the tables.</p><p>“I came when I was a little girl,” Maria admits with a little tilt of her head, “Gabriel always said he came when he was a teen. What about you Klaus?”</p><p>“Oh, I was adopted when I was a baby,” Klaus replies with a shrug and a smile, “Grew up with my siblings, enlisted, and well now I’m here.”</p><p>That’s the short version of it. Maria raises a brow and says, “Your father must have liked children?”</p><p>“Not in the slightest,” Klaus replies sincerely as Maria unlocks the door and they step inside the restaurant.</p><p>She snorts and flicks the lights on with a click illuminating the restaurant as she settles her purse on the bar, “A glutton for punishment then?”</p><p>“That’s one way to put it,” Klaus says and doesn’t mention how it was more of an experiment and their father was definitely a bit of a sadist.</p><p>Maria flashes him a knowing expression and settles a laminated piece of paper down before him, “This is our menu,” she places a note pad and a pencil beside it, “Do I need to explain the basics to you? Customer service and all that.”</p><p>Klaus puts on his patented customer service smile, Ben once called it horrifyingly empty so he knows it’s perfect. Maria to her credit just nods even as the door swings open and Sasha steps inside.</p><p>“Oh, he’s still here,” Sasha says, not in a particularly mean sort of tone, more just surprised. Klaus waves.</p><p>Maria glances between the two of them with a smile and says to Klaus, “If you have any questions ask Sasha, she’s an excellent waitress.”</p><p>Sasha blushes even as she shakes her head stepping into the back room and returning with an apron. She tilts her head up and down studying Klaus before she says, “Come on, I’ll show you around.”</p><p>Klaus is given a quick tour of the place as the cooks file in, where the cutlery and plates are stored, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the bar, and the storage room. Sasha keeps up a light running commentary the whole time, talking about one show or another that Klaus hardly recognises the name of; he just nods along as if he understands, it’s always worked before.</p><p>“So, how long are you planning on staying?” Sasha questions as she returns from settling a menu in front of their first patron of the morning, a man in a business suit who looks like he’s probably only going to order a black coffee.</p><p>“Don’t know,” Klaus shrugs, “I don’t really know where I’m going to go from here.”</p><p>“You’re trying to find your siblings, right?” Sasha asks as she returns sticking the paper over the window to the kitchen before dipping behind the bar to reach the coffee pots. Klaus nods and Sasha hums, “Well I’m sure you’ll find them eventually.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Klaus replies nodding and going to handle the other table, a mother and her two kids.</p><p>It’s like slipping on an old coat, it doesn’t fit quite right, and is a little out of fashion but its Klaus, so he makes it work.</p><p>When he returns to the counter with the order sticking it over the window Sasha nods with an approving little smile, leaning against the counter she says, “Maria helped me onto my feet after my dad was put away,” Klaus’ face twists and she waves her hand, “It was a few years ago, things are better now.”</p><p>Before Klaus can respond she leaves to handle the next table. He watches her for a long moment, he wonders if he could do more.</p><p>Klaus slips into the rhythm of it all, the pleasant smiles, the balancing act with the plates and the glasses, how to clean a table, dancing around the small space with Sasha and Maria. He can’t really stop his eyes from darting to the bar and the bottles behind it, but he doesn’t ask and that has to count for something. It’s nice to talk to people without worrying about what they want from him, to not worry about if they’ll recognise him, or even who he is.</p><p>Right around two, after the lunch crowd has all but filtered out and its just a few patrons, some old men with nothing else to do, and a mom and her kids taking a late lunch, the door to <em>La Mesa</em> swings open. A man with dark hair and tanned skin walks inside, he just so happens to have a gun in his hands.</p><p>A stillness drops over the restaurant, so quiet that time itself seems to have halted as the safety clicks off and the man levels the gun at Maria’s head, “All the cash from the register and nobody gets hurt. Now!”</p><p>Klaus glances around the restaurant. Is anyone going to do anything? The old men with their beers and their guns at their sides? The cooks in the back? The passersby on the street? Sasha certainly looks ready to do something and when Klaus stares at her, he can see… something surrounding her, it’s dark, like what an aura might be.</p><p>As Klaus glances around the restaurant he notices a man in an army uniform scowling at the robber, it’s a ghost, the same translucence to him as any of the others Klaus sees. If he can do something why shouldn’t he? He’s not like his siblings, he can’t disarm someone in a matter of seconds, or rumour them to walk away.</p><p>But he did manifest Ben.</p><p>Inhaling, Klaus focuses on his powers, that place inside of him that’s so cold, that feeling in the auditorium.</p><p>“Hey what are you doing? Stop!” The man with the gun demands pointing it at Klaus. He glances down at his own hands which are beginning to glow blue and then to the army soldier who is now a pale blue colour.</p><p>Maria says something low in Spanish as the army soldier, Liam K Williams, 4<sup>th</sup> infantry division steps forward.</p><p>“Dad?” The man with the gun asks.</p><p>“You’ve disappointed me, Nick,” Liam says with a frown. Ouch.</p><p>Nick’s face screws up and he fires his gun straight at Liam with a loud <em>bang</em>. Klaus flinches his concentration wavering as the bullet embeds itself in the ground. With a shake of his head, Liam steps forward and tosses his son out the door and onto the street, the doors shut behind him with a bang.</p><p>Klaus maintains the ghost just long enough to see Nick fleeing in the opposite direction before he lets go with a gasp.</p><p>There’s silence for a long moment as Klaus stumbles back into a chair, every limb feels heavy, he feels as if he’s run a marathon, or as if he was the one to throw Nick out of the restaurant.</p><p>“Klaus?” Sasha asks carefully staring at him with wide eyes.</p><p>“Surprise?”</p><p> </p><p>No one says anything for a long few moments but eventually, Maria shakes her head and returns to the kitchens to speak to the cooks. Klaus can tell something has changed, he’s not sorry though, not if it means that Sasha doesn’t have that dark <em>shadow</em> hanging over her.</p><p>The mother and children filter out but the old men stay, drinking their beers and talking about whatever old men talk about. Klaus pauses at the bar and Sasha pauses beside him, silent for a long moment before she asks, “Did you know you could do that?”</p><p>“Yes?” Klaus responds with a shrug, focusing on cleaning one of the glasses which really doesn’t need to be cleaned, he glances at Sasha who has an expectant expression, he can see Maria hovering nearby, “Look I’ve always been able to see ghosts.”</p><p>“For real?”</p><p>“For real,” Klaus nods with a pinched frown, “It’s not all its cracked up to be. Most ghosts aren’t exactly nice. For a long time, I… well I hid from it all as best as I could.”</p><p>“Can your siblings see them?” Sasha questions gently, Klaus is beyond grateful that she isn’t prying, it’s a bit sad, to be honest.</p><p>“Nah they’re all different,” Klaus responds with a flap of his hand which quickly dips into an apologetic smile as he darts off to deal with a small family.</p><p>The dinner rush hits and they don’t really get another break until late in the evening. The last of the drunkards trickle out and Klaus settles on the bar stool with a groan itching for a drink, or a hit of something.</p><p>He made a promise.</p><p>For Dave.</p><p>Sasha settles beside him with Maria on the other side, the old woman laughs her eyes crinkling at the corners as she asks, “So, how was your first day Klaus?”</p><p>“Long,” he moans into the table perking up when one of the cooks, Antonio sets a plate of fries, or papas fritas, in front of him. He smiles in thanks and plops one in his mouth making a sound of happiness. Look, the food is good, like really good. It would be competition for mom, and that’s saying something.</p><p>Sasha laughs and leans her head on her hand studying Klaus as she asks, “So, can you summon just about anyone? Like you know Buddy Holly?”</p><p>Rolling his eyes Klaus pouts at Sasha before with a sigh he waves his hand and replies, “Sort of? A lot of ghosts just you know hang around. There’s like five here right now. Some stick to certain people who are connected to them, my brother had a conga line going on. But I haven’t really tried to summon someone who’s uh passed on through the pearly white gates up there.”</p><p>Sasha nods swirling her drink in her hand she studies Klaus for a long moment before Mariah interjects, “When did you first start seeing ghosts Klaus?”</p><p>“I wasn’t expecting some kind of Spanish Inquisition geez,” Klaus responds picking at his fries before he nonchalantly continues, “I’ve been able to see them for as long as I could remember.”</p><p>Maria’s lips twitch into a frown and even Sasha looks a little upset by that piece of information. Just wait till they hear about the rest of his shit show of a life.</p><p>“I could use a smoke want to come?” Sasha asks digging out her pack and twisting it in her hands.</p><p>“A thousand time yes,” Klaus replies one hand clasped dramatically over his chest earning a bubble of laughter from Sasha as she rises to her feet. Klaus nods to Maria and follows her out onto the street.</p><p>The air is chilly, but nothing compared to where the Academy is. Sasha offers her pack and Klaus plucks out a cigarette sticking it in his mouth and leaning forward to catch it on her lighter.</p><p>Sasha leans against the brick wall exhaling a wispy stream of smoke as she holds the cigarette in between her fingers before she asks quietly, “Is my – are there any ghosts hanging around me?”</p><p>Klaus blinks, glancing behind Sasha’s shoulder where a woman with dreads in green dress hovers and nods, “A woman, she looks like you.”</p><p>“Could I – could I speak to her?” Sasha asks glancing away to take another drag of her cigarette before her eyes flicker back to Klaus.</p><p>“You owe me one, but yeah sure,” Klaus teases, he inhales and focuses on that part of him, the cold of the mausoleum, he thinks of Sasha with her smiles, her splatter of freckles across the bridge of her nose.</p><p>Eleanor King steps forward glowing a pale half-translucent blue and enfolds her daughter in her arms.</p><p>Klaus steps a few feet away to give the two some privacy. He leans against the wall and takes a drag of his cigarette, they’re better than the ones from ‘Nam, but most things are better than the shit in Vietnam.</p><p>What is he supposed to do now?</p><p>He used to have one goal in life, it was a simple goal, get as high as possible. But that one isn’t quite an option anymore. He needs to find his siblings, but there’s only so much Klaus can do other than trawl the libraries and that alleyway hoping for some kind of clue.</p><p>What is he supposed to do?</p><p>He and Dave they were going to live on a farm, somewhere real isolated, they were going to have cats and Dave insisted there be cows. Klaus was going to paint and they would have a little stall at a farmer’s market.</p><p>Now?</p><p>Maybe he’ll just hope that he can get back to his own timeline eventually. He was never good at planning for the future anyways.</p><p>“Thanks,” Sasha says, her eyes are red and it's obvious she’s been crying, but her smile is real and bright. Klaus nods and drops his cigarette crushing it beneath his feet before he flashes her a smile.</p><p>“Anytime.”</p><p>“I’m going to head inside,” Sasha says, she reaches out settling her hand on his arm, warm and real, “Thank you, Klaus.”</p><p>She ducks back inside before he can respond.</p><p>Klaus exhales leaning his head against the wall he closes his eyes and searches for his siblings. If they’re… if they’re dead he should be able to summon them. If Ben is here, he should be able to…</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>Klaus exhales raggedly and wipes at his eyes, what does it mean if he can’t summon them? He can’t summon Ben either so its not even a guarantee that they aren’t all dead. But come on, Five would never let them all die. He’ll just have to do some more research.</p><p>He slips back into <em>La Mesa</em> and settles on the stool beside Maria, she studies him for a long moment before she asks, “Ready to go home?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah I am,” Klaus responds with a tiny smile.</p><p> </p><p>The next week is quiet for the most part, Klaus keeps working at <em>La Mesa</em>, he goes home with Maria and sleeps on her couch, rinse and repeat. It’s nice, the routine. It’s not like their father’s strict hierarchy if he wants, he can dart out to grab some smokes, he can take a walk in the park.</p><p>At first, Klaus thinks that the incident will be forgotten, shrugged off as some sort of miracle.</p><p>But people talk, and Klaus receives more than his fair share of stares which he just knows aren’t because of how well he works with what clothing he has.</p><p>It all comes to a head of sorts on the Tuesday of the next week when two women walk inside <em>La Mesa</em>. It’s early in the afternoon, but not so early as to have the last dredges of the lunch crowd and Klaus is taking the chance to sit and rest his weary feet talking to Sasha about the local library and the issues of checking out books without a card (or any other proof of existence in general).</p><p>The first woman has pale skin and a righteous head of dark curly hair, the second woman has light brown skin, dark hair, and has a red dot on her forehead, bindi if Klaus remembers his lessons correctly.</p><p>They glance around the restaurant for a moment before their eyes alight on Klaus and they approach. Klaus glances to Sasha who smiles and with a wave says, “Eve, Harini, how’s it going?”</p><p>The woman with curly hair, presumably Eve, rolls her eyes, “Gregory tried to hike up the rent again, something about it being unfair we’re sharing the cost. Anyways this is ghost boy, right?”</p><p>Definitely Irish.</p><p>Klaus gestures at his chest in surprise glancing to Sasha who laughs and nods.</p><p>Harini shakes her head with a sigh and says, “We’re sorry to intrude but well we’ve heard about what you can do and we’re in a bit of a bind.”</p><p>Klaus glances to Sasha who raises her hands and says, “Hey the rumours have been spreading all on their own. I may have just helped a bit. Besides it’s for a good cause, honestly.”</p><p>He frowns for a moment, a part of him uneasy at the thought of people demanding he use his powers. But it’s for a good cause, Ben would tell him to do it, wouldn’t he? Not that he ever really listened to Ben.</p><p>Eve frowns and says, “It’s my mom’s jewellery, it’s been lost since she died. If we can find it, we can uh meet rent this month and maybe the next. Give us time to get back on our feet.”</p><p>Klaus studies Eve and Harini for a moment before he nods, Sasha grins and claps her hands together, “You can use the back room, it’s private.”</p><p>He pins Sasha with a gaze that promises to talk about this later and leads the two women into the backroom. It’s not much, a table and a few chairs, a whole bunch of boxes and some cartons that once held a shipment of food.</p><p>Klaus settles in one chair and they settle opposite him, focusing on the ghosts in the room, the thing he usually does the opposite of, Klaus searches for the ghost of a woman. There’s a man missing an arm and a leg, a young boy with rope marks around his neck, and a young woman with bright blond hair.</p><p>“What did your mother look like?” Klaus questions fiddling with one of the rings on his fingers before glancing up at Eve.</p><p>“She uh had hair like mine, these bright green eyes, she was always wearing this stupid knitted shawl you know? She didn’t even knit it, found it at a second hand store, but if anyone asked, she would say it was hers,” Eve responds her eyes tearing up a little, she leans into Harini’s side and Harini loops her hand with Eve’s.</p><p>Klaus nods, “Do you have anything of hers? She’s not here, which means she’s passed on. I’ll need a connection to summon her,” Klaus responds carefully, not even fully certain if what he is saying is true; it feels right.</p><p>Eve nods and pulls off a ring setting it on the table, its simple, silver, with a tiny diamond, or at least what appears to be one, in the centre. Klaus inhales and reaches out touching the ring and pulling on that part of him, he reaches.</p><p>It’s like swimming at the bottom of a lake. There’s clay in between Klaus’ toes, the water is murky, and the seaweed obscured his view. Then he finds her.</p><p>Michelle Murphy, true to form has a head of curly hair like her daughter and manifests with her signature green shawl. She stares sightlessly around the room before her gaze falls on Eve and she says, “Hello Evie.”</p><p>Eve sniffs, wiping at her eyes she says, “Hi mom.”</p><p>“I suppose you’ll be wanting to know where that necklace got to then?” Michelle asks planting her hands on her hips and observing Harini with a kind smile.</p><p>“Can’t I just say hi?” Eve asks with a lopsided smile.</p><p>“Well you’ve said it, next you’ll be wanting to know what I ate the night before,” Michelle sighs in the manner of a woman put-upon before she grins at her daughter, glowing blue and half translucent she says, “The necklace is buried next to the oak tree. You know the one.”</p><p>“I do. I miss you so much mom,” Eve replies wiping at her face even as she continues to smile.</p><p>Michelle leans forward her fingers ghosting against Eve’s cheek before she pulls back and says, “I’m so proud of you Evie. My beautiful, wonderful, girl.”</p><p>“Thanks, mom,” Eve replies leaning into Harini who runs her fingers through Eve’s curly hair.</p><p>Michelle turns to face Klaus and with a gentle smile she says, “Thank you, young man.”</p><p>It’s nice, makes his chest feel all warm and tingly.</p><p>“Anytime,” Klaus replies and with a low exhale he releases Michelle’s spirit. The room is darker without her illuminating it and it's silent, broken only by the sound of Eve sniffling.</p><p>She rises to her feet a moment later tugging Harini with her she smiles at Klaus and says, “Thank you, really.”</p><p>“Happy I could help,” Klaus replies following the two women out of the backroom and to the bar where Sasha immediately starts pouring the two women drinks. She raises a brow at Klaus who waves it off, not today.</p><p>Harini nudges Klaus and holds a bill out towards him, he stares at it for a moment before glancing to Harini and then to Sasha who shakes her head and says, “Take it dumbass, you can pay Maria back for hosting your annoying ass, Klaus.”</p><p>“Please, we really appreciate it, Klaus,” Harini says, for a moment, Klaus feels kind of guilty, but well he’s never been a sticker for morals so with a nod he takes it shoving it in his pocket. He’s going to think of it as a tip.</p><p>“Smoke?” Harini asks waving her pack, Klaus glances to Sasha who flashes him a thumbs up talking to Eve about where to buy a good shovel.</p><p>He nods and follows her out of the restaurant, she passes him a cigarette and he lights up with a low smile.</p><p>“It’s been pretty rough these past few months,” Harini says with a shrug, studying her cigarette, “My parents kicked me out after they found me with Eve. Course her dad wasn’t too pleased either.”</p><p>“That sucks seriously I’m sorry,” Klaus replies reaching out to gently bump his shoulder against Harini’s as he adds, “I lost my partner about a month ago.”</p><p>“I’m sorry for your loss,” Harini says gently, reaching out she tangles her hand with Klaus’.</p><p>“It was war, young men die in war,” Klaus says as if that will strip away the ache as if it might fill the wound in his chest where Dave used to be.</p><p>Harini frowns but she doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t ask why Klaus can’t see him (but he could, couldn’t he? It just wouldn’t be his Dave), she just offers him another cigarette.</p><p>“We live down the street, the same block as Sasha, you’re welcome over anytime Klaus,” Harini finally says she laughs, it’s a nice laugh deep and hiccupy, “It’s important to hang around people your own age.”</p><p>“I’ll have you know old people are wonderful,” Klaus replies with a grin then adds, “And quite terrible at the same time.”</p><p>“Most people are,” Harini agrees bumping her shoulder against his once more before she continues, “Come on, Eve will probably want to ask you questions about the whole ghost thing.”</p><p>“Only if you both take me shopping because you two look incredible,” Klaus replies with a grin.</p><p>Harini laughs as she stubs out her cigarette and tugs Klaus back inside.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed if I was insensitive about anything please just let me know and I'm trying to avoid negative tropes so if it starts to happen just let me know and I'll try to fix it as best as possible. I want all these characters to have lives and motivations independent of Klaus. Anyways, comments are always appreciated, till next time!</p><p>Tu hablas español? - Do you speak Spanish<br/>Un poco- A little</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, I'm here with the next chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter! Read on and enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harini and Eve’s place is nice, well as nice as anything in the neighbourhood can be. But well the walls are pleasant shades, and the furniture isn’t too worn out. It certainly <em>feels</em> like their place, which is arguably the most important thing.</p>
<p>Klaus follows the two women inside, letting his eyes sweep over the little cat clock, the blue couch, the little tv, the knitted rug. Harini ducks into the bedroom with their bags while Eve sidles into the kitchen calling out, “Anything to drink Klaus? We’ve got booze.”</p>
<p>“I’m good,” Klaus replies dumping his own bags, thankfully full of clothing a bit more in his style (Eve and Harini complemented the skirt he picked out, even if he won’t be able to wear it outside), by the door. He takes a few steps into the apartment, ignoring an elderly woman with a gunshot wound as he flops onto their couch, which while smelling of weed, is quite comfortable.</p>
<p>Eve steps out of the kitchen, three glasses in her hands and with a tilt of her head asks, “What’s up with that? If you don’t mind me asking.”</p>
<p>She sets a glass of water in front of Klaus before curling up in an armchair with a mug of tea. Klaus shrugs tipping his head back to watch as Harini ducks out of the bedroom and makes her way over to the couch.</p>
<p>“My powers don’t work as well when I’m high,” Klaus explains casually, biting back even the hint of a frown as he watches Harini press a kiss to Eve’s head before picking up her own mug and settling beside Klaus, something sour curdles in his gut but he brushes it away and continues, “And I promised I would try for Dave.”</p>
<p>“Dave was your partner?” Eve asks gently, apology flashing across her features.</p>
<p>Klaus’ fingers unconsciously tangle around the dog tags resting against his chest as he nods. Harini frowns and reaches over settling her hand on Klaus’ arm, its warm and it grounds him away from the battlefield, the sound of mortars impacting, the stench of infection and blood. He’s in a little apartment somewhere in Dallas Texas, he’s not there anymore.</p>
<p>“How long have you been able to see ghosts?” Eve questions digging her toes into the cushion of the armchair.</p>
<p>“Since I was like four?” Klaus replies with a shrug reaching out and taking a sip of water before he continues, “Most of my siblings developed theirs later.”</p>
<p>“Sasha mentioned you were looking for your siblings,” Harini says reaching out to swat Eve before she continues, “What are their names? We can try to keep an eye out for you. I remember when my family first immigrated, it was a hassle finding everyone again.”</p>
<p>Before Klaus can respond Eve adds, “I work at a department store and Harini works with a janitorial service, so uh we see a lot of people.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods with a tiny smile and replies, “Thanks. There’s uh Vanya, she’s kind of tiny, brown hair, likes to wear a lot of button-ups, she’s… I’m really worried about her. Then there’s Allison, she’s got this smile, it’s like a movie star you know? Impeccable fashion sense as well. Uh Diego, lots of turtle necks, has a scar on his face, a bit of a macho man. Luther, he’s big, like really big, like uh comic book muscles. Then Five, he looks like he’s fifteen, but can and will sass you if you try to talk to him like a kid, he’s usually just wearing a school uniform,” Klaus finishes thinking of each of his siblings in turn before he adds, “Oh and we all look nothing alike.”</p>
<p>“Because you’re all adopted?” Eve asks probably before she can even think about it as she blushes and adds quietly, “Sasha mentioned it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, lucky us,” Klaus replies glancing off to the side before he forces his face back into the approximation of a smile.</p>
<p>“Sasha said you had another sibling?” Harini asks gently, and wow Klaus didn’t know they were doing therapy now.</p>
<p>Klaus closes his eyes for a minute and can’t resist pulling just a little, searching for Ben. Nothing.</p>
<p>“Ben, he died when we were younger,” Klaus says quietly before taking another long sip of water, glancing at Harini and Eve’s faces he adds, “He’s usually haunting me, but even he’s not here.”</p>
<p>Maybe Ben finally found that white light again. Klaus wouldn’t be surprised if Ben didn’t say goodbye, not after everything Klaus put him through but it still kind of hurts, and he misses him as much as it might pain him to admit it.</p>
<p>“I’m sure you’ll find them,” Harini says gently, her hand once more resting on his arm as she adds, “We’re pretty good at finding things.”</p>
<p>“It only took me fifteen minutes to find the necklace,” Eve says with a smile that’s soft at the edges.</p>
<p>Klaus chuckles as Harini tilts her head and whispers, “It was actually closer to an hour.”</p>
<p>“Hey, are you telling him lies?” Eve demands planting her hands on her hips and scrunching up her face in mock offence.</p>
<p>“Only true ones,” Harini replies with a smile that lights up her eyes, the expression is familiar as she gazes at Eve and it sinks hard and heavy in Klaus’ chest.</p>
<p>They should have had more time, they could have had a farm, he could have introduced him to his siblings; it probably wouldn’t have gone well.</p>
<p>“So, what else can you do Klaus?” Eve asks changing the subject as she rises to her feet and disappears into the kitchen for a moment. She returns a few seconds later with a blue tin, which when opened reveals a few cookies; Klaus thought those only held sewing supplies.</p>
<p>“I can manifest ghosts, but that’s about the extent of it, and that’s a new thing. My father always said I had more potential though,” Klaus replies reaching forward to snatch a cookie, he’s starving and it helps distract from everything else.</p>
<p>“Have you ever tried anything else?” Harini questions carefully, she’s studying Klaus like she can see right beneath his skin to the messed-up parts of him.</p>
<p>Klaus studies the palm of his hands, he’ll need to touch up his tats soon before he replies quietly, “Spent most of my life high in an attempt to escape them. I – you don’t know what it’s like, being the only one that can see them. The ones that stay, most of them aren’t pleasant, they want me to help them or just to be seen, they don’t understand boundaries.”</p>
<p>Eve makes a small wounded noise, Harini beside him turns and asks gently, “Can I hug you?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Klaus breathes the word as Harini turns and wraps her arms around him, she smells faintly like something spicy and at the same time something flowery, maybe jasmine. She gives a good hug, not too tight, and her hands are warm where they rest lightly on his back.</p>
<p>She pulls back after a few seconds and Klaus wipes at his face, sucking in a few breaths until he doesn’t feel quite so vulnerable.</p>
<p>With forced cheer, Klaus adds, “That’s not even the worst of it. My father used to make me spend hours in a mausoleum hoping it would get rid of my fear of ghosts. Surprise, it didn’t work.”</p>
<p>“Klaus that’s horrible,” Eve says looking like she might stand up and give him a hug as well as she angrily takes a cookie and adds, “How did he get away with that?”</p>
<p>“You should have seen what he did to my siblings,” Klaus replies with a shrug thinking of Diego’s knives embedded next to his head, of Ben, of Vanya high on pills all her life, before he adds, “He was a very respected man and he had enough money to boot. Thank god he’s dead now.”</p>
<p>Harini and Eve are silent for a few minutes in the wake of that piece of information before finally, Harini offers Klaus another cookie, which he takes, and Eve asks, “Have you ever considered using your powers?”</p>
<p>Klaus tilts his head confused, he kind of can’t stop using them unless he’s high.</p>
<p>Eve shakes her head, “A lot of people don’t get to say goodbye, or have unfinished business. A lot of people are like us, can’t find a piece of jewellery or their will, think of how many cases you could solve.”</p>
<p>Klaus bites his lip considering it for a moment, sure he considered all that once when he was younger. There was the tv show or maybe a book, Ben liked it, some mystery where there was a psychic medium who tried to help provide closure. Klaus used to think that could be him, that he could actually use his powers for good. Then he was chucked in the mausoleum and that dream died a quick death.</p>
<p>Harini bumps her shoulder against Klaus’ and adds, “A lot of good can be done, you think the police actually investigate anything around here? Besides, even if people don’t have a lot to spare, we give what we can. I know Maria would appreciate it.”</p>
<p>Klaus musters a tiny glare for Harini at that guilt trip even as he considers it, Ben would want him to, something like his final dying wish?</p>
<p>He could do something good with his powers and it wouldn’t be because the old man told him to, he wouldn’t be doing it because it was expected of him, because he needed to prove himself to his siblings. Just because it was the right thing to do.</p>
<p>It’s a nice thought.</p>
<p>Dave would want him to do it.</p>
<p>Klaus still remembers the first time he told Dave about what he could do, the <em>wonder</em> that had flashed like lightning in a bottle across his face. They had talked about it quietly, and slowly the sadness had crept over Dave’s face, but he still remembered that wonder.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Eve asks gently.</p>
<p>“I’ll do it,” Klaus says reaching out for another cookie, he pauses and waves it in their direction, “But keep it on the down-low.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Harini says stealing the cookie from his hand she smiles and says, “Wouldn’t want you to become a government experiment.”</p>
<p>Klaus pouts and takes another cookie, he doesn’t mention it, but he’s had enough of being someone else’s experiment.</p>
<p>Before anyone else can say anything there’s a knock on the door. Harini rolls her eyes and rises to her feet muttering, “I swear if that’s Gregory coming to complain about something again.”</p>
<p>“Just tell him we’re two friends sharing an apartment again,” Eve says with a sigh planting her head on her hand as she winks at Klaus.</p>
<p>Harini peers through the keyhole before with a genuine smile she flings open the door revealing Sasha.</p>
<p>“Hey, thought I’d drop by,” Sasha says holding up a bag of takeout containers she catches sight of Klaus and says, “I see you’re making friends on your day off?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know I’m still considering it,” Klaus says with a grin earning a swat from Eve as Sasha settles on his other side.</p>
<p>She reaches over to ruffle his hair and asks, “What were you all talking about?”</p>
<p>Harini glances at Eve as Sasha lays out the take out containers, who explains, “We were convincing Klaus to hold seances.”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>“I agreed,” Klaus says in a long-suffering tone before reaching forward to snatch a container of Pork Posole, which is still warm in his hands, tilting his head he adds, “That’s what I was called. The Séance.”</p>
<p>“You had code names?” Eve asks as she digs out a container of chicken fajitas, hastily attempting to shove one in her mouth as she speaks.</p>
<p>Klaus nods waving a spoonful of delicious Posole, “Allison was the Rumour, Diego was the Kraken, which I never got cause he can breathe underwater forever, but he can also redirect stuff?”</p>
<p>“That is weird,” Harini agrees, returning with a glass of juice for Sasha who takes it with a smile as Harini asks, “Were your siblings the only ones born with powers?”</p>
<p>“Probably not,” Klaus admits, “It all happened on the same day, but a lot of the kids didn’t make it from what I’ve heard. Some just got taken in by the government, some just disappeared. Like us I suppose.”</p>
<p>“How was work?” Eve asks Sasha, changing the subject.</p>
<p>Sasha shrugs picking at her container of huevos rancheros before she glances at Klaus and with a grin adds, “You know old Tommy?” Klaus nods, “He tried to pick me up tonight.”</p>
<p>“Did you say yes?” Klaus asks with a wide grin, “I mean have you seen his gold chains?”</p>
<p>“No,” Sasha says raising one finger before she adds, “Though I did see Nick today, he kept glancing over his shoulder when he walked past <em>La Mesa</em>.”</p>
<p>“The guy who tried to rob the place?” Klaus asks quickly placing the name.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I almost feel sorry for him, but we’ll everyone’s in a difficult place,” Sasha replies with a shrug before turning to Harini, “How’s the new office you’re cleaning?”</p>
<p>“Ugh the worst,” Harini says with a shake of her head, “Men are such pigs,” she glances at Klaus, “Not you. The receptionist shares a sympathetic glance with me every time I walk in. The few women that work there are saints in comparison.”</p>
<p>Eve shakes her head and pats Harini’s thigh as she adds, “You obviously haven’t met the women who come into the department store.”</p>
<p>“That’s just customer service,” Sasha says with a shake of her head. She frowns, her face twisted up and rises quickly to her feet dipping into the washroom.</p>
<p>She returns a few moments later grimacing as she takes a sip of her drink, Harini and Eve share a glance before Harini asks gently, “So… it’s?”</p>
<p>“Yep,” Sasha says forcefully studying her glass before she glances up at Klaus and explains, “I’m pregnant.”</p>
<p>Klaus can tell there’s more to it, thinks of the women on the street, doesn’t think about dark alleyways and the need for a high. He reaches out lacing his hand over top of hers and offers a tentative, “Congratulations?”</p>
<p>Sasha sniffs and with a watery smile admits, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with a kid.”</p>
<p>“Raise it hopefully,” Harini interjects resting her hand on Sasha’s shoulder as she adds, “Besides, we’ll all be beside you. How’s that saying go Eve?”</p>
<p>“It takes a village to raise a child,” Eve supplies smiling gently at Sasha and offering her a cookie.</p>
<p>Sasha takes it with a sigh and says, “Well I guess I better start thinking of names.”</p>
<p>Klaus grins and says, “I know some great names.”</p>
<p>“No offence Klaus, I’m not naming my kid anything you suggest,” Sasha says with a playful grin.</p>
<p>Klaus pouts at her and asks, “What about Bartholomew, Bart for short?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Come on,” Klaus says with a grin as Sasha starts to smile again. She just rolls her eyes and bumps her shoulder against Klaus’ stealing the last of his Posole. Klaus stares at her with his best puppy eyes but she just grins and teasingly eats the last of it. Klaus glances to Harini and Eve who only laugh; he sees how it is.</p>
<p>Harini tilts her head and asks Sasha one question or another and Klaus grins sinking back into the couch. Its warm in the apartment, he’s full, and his friends (friends!) are chatting with each other; it’s nice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The television store is bustling and Klaus pauses staring from outside as people bustle about, peering at the brightly coloured screens which flash with images of news reporters and the like. Klaus inhales, his eyes unconsciously darting towards the alleyway, the one which he had stumbled out of suddenly in the 1960s.</p>
<p>Inhaling, Klaus pushes open the door and steps inside.</p>
<p>It is not quite loud inside the store, but certainly noisy, Klaus pauses, his eyes flickering around the inside of the store uncertain where to go when a man in a sharp suit steps forward, “Good afternoon, my name is Elliot how can I help you?”</p>
<p>“I’m looking for a tv for my grandma, hers just broke,” Klaus replies, it’s almost true, but Maria’s tv has been broken for a few months from what Klaus gathers and she’s not really his grandmother. But well, he has to start somewhere.</p>
<p>The man, Elliot brightens up and with a perfect customer service smile states, “Well, you’ve come to the right place. We have a wide variety of options here. Is she interested in colour?”</p>
<p>“Maybe?” Klaus replies uncertain but certainly knowing they don’t have enough for what that kind of tv will probably cost.</p>
<p>Elliot just nods guiding Klaus throw rows of screens flickering from station to station before pausing in front of a line of tv’s that, to Klaus, look positively ancient. The screen is like a fishbowl, and the dials on the side look like something out of a control board. The colour flashing across the screen is subdued compared to what Klaus is used to when he’s staying at a place with tv, and the overall quality is rather grainy.</p>
<p>“This model is new, it just came in from Germany, top of the line, with over five stations and in full colour,” Elliot says glancing from Klaus to the tv with yet another brilliant smile.</p>
<p>Klaus nods perching one hand under his chin he asks, “Are you the owner of this fine store Elliot?”</p>
<p>Elliot’s smile if possible, grows wider and slightly more relaxed as he nods, “Indeed I am! My father owned this building before and he passed it onto me. I’ve always had a love of electronics.”</p>
<p>Klaus smiles pretending to study the rows of tv’s for a moment before he asks, “Have you seen anything strange in the alleyway on the side of the building? One of my friends swore they saw flashing light.”</p>
<p>Elliot pauses for a long moment studying Klaus with narrow eyes before he nods very slowly, “Yes, I was working but I also saw a bright light.”</p>
<p>“About two weeks ago?” Klaus asks and then has a moment to wonder that he’s stayed in one place for so long.</p>
<p>Elliot’s face scrunches up and he nods, “Yes, about two weeks ago. Why do you ask? You don’t work for the government, do you?”</p>
<p>Klaus laughs and shakes his head, “No, I doubt they would ever hire me,” considering he doesn’t technically exist, “I’m doing a bit of a project, searching for mysteries, unidentifiable stuff.”</p>
<p>Elliot brightens in understanding and nods adding, “I can’t tell you much. I was in the store as I am now with you and suddenly, I saw a bright light through that window,” here he pointed at a window, “I rushed to go see but by the time I got there it was gone.”</p>
<p>“Interesting,” Klaus says wondering what he’s doing with his life as he pulls out a slip of paper and scrawls <em>La Mesa’s</em> number on the paper, “This is where I work. If you see any more bright lights, give me a call please?”</p>
<p>Elliot takes the slip of paper studying Klaus for a long moment before with an easy smile he replies, “Sure, I’ll let you know if I see any.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Klaus replies and then as an afterthought adds, “I might be back for a tv I’ll have to ask my grandma.”</p>
<p>Elliot grins and Klaus ducks away with a smile and onto the streets. The street is busy, from what Klaus can gather this seems to be one of the major streets, he can see a café, a hair salon, a bank, and even a little hardware store.</p>
<p>A hardware store with a familiar name.</p>
<p>Klaus pauses and ducks out of the way leaning against the side of one building or another and staring at the little hardware store.</p>
<p>He thinks of letters written in the mud and dirt, blood dabbing the corners. Of Dave’s lips pursed into a thin line as he talks about his family, his uncle who encouraged him to enlist, his father who wouldn’t be so proud if he knew.</p>
<p>The way Dave would sometimes whisper that he was scared to go home. That before Klaus, he had enlisted in the hope that it would make things right (right for his family not for Dave), that maybe if he didn’t return it would be better for everyone else.</p>
<p>And Dave, with the little crinkles at the corner of his eyes talking about paint colours, the best way to sand wood, the funniest customers he had ever had. The good moments and the bad all in that little hardware store.</p>
<p>Klaus wonders if Dave is working there now, Christ he must only be what? 17? 18? So young, not touched by the horrors of war, the loss, the blood, the thousand tiny scars from one injury or another.</p>
<p>He doesn’t even know Klaus</p>
<p>He could walk into that store and Dave would stare at him with a blank face and he wouldn’t know Klaus. He could try to tell him not to enlist, could try to save Dave but would that erase the Dave Klaus knew? Would Dave even believe him?</p>
<p>There’s a bench across the street from the hardware store, Klaus sits there for a long time just watching the store.</p>
<p>Eventually, he goes home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mrs. Santos gives Klaus no-nonsense vibes; she has a sharp-lined face and dyed-red hair pulled back into a bun behind her head. At her side, her daughter Rosie, cute as a button with dark brown hair and a gorgeous blue dress, is humming to herself.</p>
<p>The woman gives Klaus a look up and down before glancing over Harini she asks, “You sure he can do this? I’ve been scammed before Harini.”</p>
<p>Harini smiles at the woman, her eyes flickering to Klaus who nods once, “Klaus summoned Michelle, we found her necklace. Klaus can summon your husband Rosaline, trust me.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Santos gives Klaus another up and down before she nods once wrapping her hand around Rosie’s shoulder and pulling her out of the way of Sasha who casts Klaus a playfully jealous look.</p>
<p>“This way,” Klaus says and guides the two to the small backroom that Maria has agreed to let him use for the occasional séance.</p>
<p>Mrs. Santos’ eyes flicker over the boxes and shipping cartons as she settles delicately in the chair across from Klaus, Rosie settles on the other swinging her legs back and forth. Klaus smiles, as friendly as he can manage, and toes off his shoes before asking, “Do you have anything that belonged to your husband?”</p>
<p>She nods placing her purse on the table she pulls out a red tie and sets it in the middle of the table before she responds, “Do you need anything else?”</p>
<p>“His name is usually helpful,” Klaus replies and then glancing to Rosie, “When I summon him, depending on how he died… he may appear like that.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Santos glances from Klaus to Rosie who is studying everything with curious eyes and no doubt coveting a thousand and one questions for Klaus. Finally, Mrs. Santos nods and says, “His name was Javier, it was a gunshot,” Mrs. Santos turns to Rosie, “Can you go find Harini, tell her you have to stay with her for ten whole minutes. I want you to guess when each minute is over, Harini will tell you if you’re right or wrong. When that’s done you can come back.”</p>
<p>When she talks to her child, all the harshness melts away into sudden warmth.</p>
<p>Rosie pouts crossing her arms over her chest and glances to Klaus who nods once in agreement. Finally, Rosie nods and rises to her feet she skips to the door before pausing and announcing, “Nothing exciting better happen well I’m gone.”</p>
<p>“We’re going to talk about taxes it's going to be so boring,” Klaus replies and Rosie nods seriously and exits the backroom the door clanging shut behind her. Klaus returns his attention to Mrs. Santos and asks, “Ready?”</p>
<p>She inhales and after a moment nods.</p>
<p>Klaus reaches forward and presses his fingers to the soft fabric of the tie. It still feels as weird the fourth time as it does the first, like dipping his toes into the clay of a lake, or like cold sweat sliding down his spine, mostly it's just cold.</p>
<p>Javier Santos in life was a broad-shouldered man with dark hair who was always impeccably dressed. In death, Javier’s hair sticks to his head coated in blood, and what remains of chest bleeds red onto his suit.</p>
<p>For a long moment, there is silence as Javier reacquaints himself with the land of the living, a faint blue glow emanating from his body and onto the table and chairs. Mrs. Santos covers her mouth with her hands, tears dripping down her cheeks as she whispers, “Javier.”</p>
<p>“Rosaline,” Javier says her name carefully like each letter is worth its own weight in gold, he glances down at his body and then back at her before saying, “I’m sorry you had to see me this way.”</p>
<p>“I can try to fix it?” Klaus asks gently.</p>
<p>Maria and Javier nod. Klaus closes his eyes and pictures Javier, without the blood, as he once was in life. He used to have to do this with Ben every once and a while when the memories of his death got too bad.</p>
<p>When he opens his eyes, Javier is no longer covered in blood and Mrs. Santos is openly sobbing into her hands. She composes herself with a few wet sniffs, dabbing at her face with a handkerchief before she asks, “Do you know who did it?”</p>
<p>Javier frowns one hand drifting to hover his chest before he nods, “Rosaline even if I give you a name, the police won’t do anything.”</p>
<p>“If there’s enough evidence they’ll have to,” Rosaline replies wiping at her eyes.</p>
<p>Javier glances over his shoulder at Klaus before he glances back to his wife and replies, “It was Jones, he says I wronged him with that deal. I think it was more of a bad place bad time thing,” Javier pauses, “He chucked the gun into the river north of here Rosaline. They’re not going to do anything, not unless he confesses.”</p>
<p>“I… I just miss you so much Javier, I don’t know what to do without you, how to raise our baby girl without you,” Rosaline says still crying as she reaches across the table. Javier reaches back his hand lacing with hers; she shivers but doesn’t move away.</p>
<p>“I’m still here, I’ll always be watching over both of my girls,” Javier says right as the door opens admitting Rosie.</p>
<p>She pauses in the doorway staring for a long moment before she says, “Daddy!”</p>
<p>Rosie runs forward and launches herself at Javier who catches her swinging her around before setting Rosie in her mother’s lap, “Have you been a good girl for mommy?”</p>
<p>“I’ve been really good!” Rosie says shifting to face her father she asks, “Are you coming home now?”</p>
<p>Javier’s face twists into something agonised as he sweeps his hand through his daughter’s hair and shakes his head, “Daddy can’t come home anymore. I still love you so much Rosie, but I can’t stay.”</p>
<p>“Will I see you again?” Rosie asks confusion twisting up her features. Klaus never had the luxury of not understanding death.</p>
<p>Javier nods, “You will, I’ll always be with you okay Rosie?”</p>
<p>She nods and Javier turns to his wife, “I love you so much Rosaline, you’re doing so well raising our baby.”</p>
<p>Rosaline sobs and reaches out once more lacing her hand with Javier’s, she whispers something in his ears and Klaus doesn’t even try to listen, just focuses on the icy cold feeling in his veins.</p>
<p>Finally, Javier pulls back he takes one long last look at his family before he turns and nods to Klaus. With a slow exhale, Klaus dematerialises Javier, the blue glow that filled the room vanishing.</p>
<p>“Where did daddy go?” Rosie asks as Rosaline wipes at her face.</p>
<p>She sniffs and replies, “He’s gone to a really nice place, one where every drink is made just right.”</p>
<p>“One with lots of cocoa?” Rosie asks twisting to rub away the tears on her mother’s cheeks.</p>
<p>Rosaline nods, “That’s right, why don’t you go and see if Sasha will make you some hot cocoa?”</p>
<p>Rosie perks up and nods placing a kiss on her mother’s cheek before she skips out of the backroom. Rosaline exhales, the tension dropping from her shoulders before she glances up at Klaus, “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“It was no problem,” Klaus replies honestly.</p>
<p>Maria nods and rises to her feet, she reaches into her purse and with an apologetic smile says, “This is all I can spare.”</p>
<p>The ten sits there as Klaus replies, “It’s more than enough, if you’d like to speak to him, I can try to summon him again, just speak to Harini.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Klaus, but I think I’ll let him rest, and let everything else rest,” She wipes at her eyes and pauses in the doorway, “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Then she is gone.</p>
<p> Scrubbing a hand over his face, and then both his hands over his arms to try and coax some warmth back into his body, Klaus reaches across the table and tucks the ten into his pocket. He sits for a moment longer grounding himself in the dingy light and the faint smell of food cooking before he rises to his feet.</p>
<p>Klaus pauses in the doorway and turns glancing over his shoulder.</p>
<p>There is a ghost sitting where he was, a familiar one with a dark hoody who says carefully, “Klaus?”</p>
<p>“Ben,” Klaus says turning and pulling on his powers at the same time as he materializes Ben.</p>
<p>Before Ben can say anything else, Klaus wraps his arms around his brother. Ben is cold, the chill of death, but he still smells faintly of home, and his arms come up to wrap around Klaus.</p>
<p>He muffles a noise into Ben’s shoulder and pulls back, “I missed you, Ben.”</p>
<p>“Klaus, how long?”</p>
<p>“Three weeks,” Klaus replies stepping back and shaking his hands when they threaten to flicker out, he’s not used to summoning two people in one day, “We’re in Dallas, Texas, 1960.”</p>
<p>Ben’s eyes widen and he glances around the room before asking, “The others?”</p>
<p>“I can’t summon them,” Klaus admits, “But I don’t think they’re here either.”</p>
<p>Ben’s shoulder slumps a mix of relief and disappointment before he really studies Klaus and asks, “Where are we?”</p>
<p>“Welcome, mi hermano to <em>La Mesa</em>,” Klaus states flinging his arms out around him and trying, likely in vain, to hide the relief swelling up in his chest as he adds, “Come on I’ll introduce you to Maria and Sasha.”</p>
<p>When he glances over his shoulder at Ben, he’s smiling. It’s nice to see.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, Ben finally made an appearance. I'm not certain when the next chapter will come out but probably sometime in September. Comments are always appreciated, till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, we are here with the next chapter! A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter I really appreciate it. I wrote this chapter instead of working on something else because people are annoying sometimes and this fic is like a comfort fic for me. Anyways, read on and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus doesn’t introduce everyone to Ben immediately.</p>
<p>For one, he has a shift and the restaurant is still rather crowded with patrons. As much as people like the supernatural it probably wouldn’t be the best for people to think <em>La Mesa</em> is haunted.</p>
<p>Instead, Ben hovers in the background just silently watching Klaus as he jokes with Sasha and swings about balancing plates and cutlery on his arms. Klaus can’t help but glance over every few minutes just to confirm that Ben is still there; every time, Ben just smiles.</p>
<p>Slowly, the evening crowd filters out into the night and Klaus begins stacking chairs with Sasha, wiping down the tables and humming under his breath. Sasha raises a brow, a huff of laughter escaping her, as she says, “Alright spill, what’s got you in such a fine mood?”</p>
<p>“I’m glad you asked Sasha, dear!” Klaus pauses tossing the rag onto the table and spinning with a grin as he continues, “I have excellent news.”</p>
<p>Sasha just raises a brow as Maria exits the kitchen glancing between the two of them with a fond smile as she says, “And what’s this news?”</p>
<p>“I’ve found one of my siblings,” Klaus replies glancing over his shoulder at Ben before he adds with shrug, “The dead one of course, but hey still a sibling.”</p>
<p>“The dead one?” Sasha asks glancing around the room as if she might spot Ben; her eyes pass right over him.</p>
<p>Maria rolls her eyes tapping Sasha lightly on the head before she turns to Klaus and says gently, “Ben, si?”</p>
<p>Klaus nods glancing to where Ben is leaning against the wall, there’s a soft expression on his face, one Klaus hasn’t seen for a long time. He turns back to Maria and replies, “Si, I wasn’t sure if ghosts could uh travel,” he waves his hand in a vague manner and continues, “But he’s here, and that means the others probably aren’t dead!”</p>
<p>“That’s good?” Sasha says with a shrug and a tiny smile one hand hovering her stomach for a moment before she realises she’s doing it and rolls her eyes. Sasha forcefully picks up Klaus’ tossed rag and begins to scrub down a nearby table as if it personally insulted her.</p>
<p>“Are we going to meet him?” Maria asks stretching her arms above her head before she slumps in the chair with a long exhale and scrubs a hand over her face; it’s been a long day of nonstop running around.</p>
<p>Klaus glances over his shoulder to Ben who grins looking almost like an excited puppy. To be fair, Ben didn’t really get a chance to talk to anyone during the whole Apocalypse situation.</p>
<p>Inhaling, Klaus dips his toes into that cold feeling, like clay between his toes (he once went up north with a group of stoners, there was a lake), and <em>pulls</em>. Ben materializes in shades of blue, staring down at his own arms and then at Klaus.</p>
<p>Has he mentioned that his hands kind of glow blue when he materializes a ghost? Well it happens, Sasha and Eve think it looks cool, Harini just said he would make a good flashlight.</p>
<p>Maria and Sasha stare at Ben as he takes a few steps forward and with a smile, he says, “Thank you both for taking care of Klaus.”</p>
<p>“Hey, I can take care of myself!” Klaus protests and resolutely doesn’t look at the alcohol, which Maria found him staring at the other night. It’s hard okay? With the ghosts (so many ghosts from war missing limbs, bleeding bullet wounds, and suddenly he’s in ‘Nam again), or the nightmares, the way loud noises try to convince his mind that he needs to take shelter. Sometimes he just wants to wash it all away.</p>
<p>He hasn’t yet. That’s gotta count for something right?</p>
<p>Maria nods with a warm smile that crinkles all the way up to her eyes and replies, “He hasn’t been too much trouble.”</p>
<p>“She’s lying,” Sasha says studying Klaus for a second with a teasing smile before she adds, “He’s been nothing but trouble.”</p>
<p>Ben glances at Klaus who raises his hands in front of his chest earning a laugh from Maria as Ben replies, “Not so different from the norm then.”</p>
<p>“I’m not always trouble,” Klaus replies with a shake of his head glancing at Sasha who opens her mouth her eyes practically shining.</p>
<p>“So, that time with the trash compacter wasn’t your fault?” Sasha asks with an innocent expression, one brow perfectly raised as she settles on one of the chairs that haven’t been put up yet.</p>
<p>“That trash compactor hates me I’ll have you know,” Klaus protests raising one finger and pointing it at Sasha who only rolls her eyes in his direction.</p>
<p>Ben laughs and Klaus has to resist the urge to whip around and stare at Ben.</p>
<p>Look, okay, Ben laughs, he laughs when Klaus does stupid stuff, which admittedly happens a lot, he laughs at jokes in books (the nerd), he even laughs at some of Klaus’ funnier bits. But that laugh right there? That’s the same laugh as when they were sitting together at three in the morning and things weren’t so bad for even a little bit.</p>
<p>Klaus glances over at Ben and catches the tail-end of his expression, there’s something there that’s just so <em>happy</em> that it settles on Klaus’ chest like a weighted blanket. He could have been making Ben smile like that for years. He could have given his brother something of the life that got so unfairly taken away.</p>
<p>Fuck, that’s depressing.</p>
<p>Dragging his mind away from that abyss, he can’t change the past… relatively speaking, Klaus returns his attention to the group. Ben is sitting in a chair near Klaus, one knee pressed to his, and is saying to Maria, “Klaus has always been dramatic, our father hated it.”</p>
<p>“He tried his best to stamp it out, but well look at me now!” Klaus interrupts earning a nudge from Ben who shakes his head at Klaus.</p>
<p>Maria just laughs and continues, “What about you Ben, what have you been doing?”</p>
<p>She looks a bit unsure of the question, there isn’t really a guidebook on how to make conversation with the dead after the obligatory stuff. Ben just smiles knocking his shoulder against Klaus’ as he replies, “I’ve been following Klaus, trying to keep him out of trouble. Evidently, a bit hard to do when you’re a ghost.”</p>
<p>“I can imagine,” Sasha says returning with a plate of fries as she continues, “It’s hard enough as it is and we’re alive.”</p>
<p>“I have not caused half as much trouble as I could have,” Klaus protests reaching over to snatch a fry, Sasha glares fiercely as he continues, “I could have started a cult! Or, or I could have become an actor.”</p>
<p>Ben shakes his head and staring at Klaus he says, “I could see you doing that,” it’s said in a long-suffering sort of tone. Ben turns to Maria and Sasha and with a kind smile continues, “I’m glad he ended up here instead.”</p>
<p>“Us as well,” Maria says with a smile, her gaze drifting to Klaus and it reminds just a little bit of mom, his heart pangs a little at the reminder that she and Pogo are gone in their future.</p>
<p>“You should have seen what happened the day he started working here,” Sasha says with a grin, Klaus glares at her even as Ben tilts his head. She continues, “So, someone comes in and tries to rob us, right? Here I am thinking that someone’s going to die when Klaus summons Nick’s dad who was in the military. I’ve never seen someone run so fast.”</p>
<p>“You’ve been practising,” Ben says staring at Klaus with wide eyes; they both know that’s a big thing. For the longest time, Ben never pushed for Klaus to try and use his powers, they both understood all too well the reason why.</p>
<p>“Yep,” Klaus says with a bright grin that probably fails to hide how he’s still a bit uncomfortable with the idea. What if he materializes a violent ghost? What if they are able to physically touch him all on their own? Klaus continues, “I’m holding real seances now too!”</p>
<p>“It’s been very helpful,” Maria agrees with a smile before she glances at her watch and continues, “It’s getting late, we should be heading home.”</p>
<p>“I’ll lock up, I’m going to finish these fries,” Sasha adds with a wave of her hand before she glances down at her stomach and continues, “I swear this kid is going to be so much trouble.”</p>
<p>“They’re kids, of course, they’ll be trouble,” Maria says with a shake of her glancing out the window before she continues, “But you love them regardless.”</p>
<p>Sasha nods with a tiny smile staring down at her fries. Maria slings her purse over her shoulder and glances to Ben, with a warm smile she says, “It was lovely meeting you Ben, you’re welcome any time chico.”</p>
<p>“Gracias,” Ben says tilting his head down before glancing at Klaus. He exhales and shakes his hands until they flicker out completely and Ben is no longer visible to anyone but Klaus.</p>
<p>The night air is cool, Klaus tugs his jacket tighter around his shoulders and follows Maria down the street, Ben hovering beside him.</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben begins and then pauses searching for what he wants to say. They pass under a shaky yellow street light in silence as Klaus lights up a cigarette and sticks it in the corner of his mouth. Finally, Ben continues, “I’m proud of you.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Benny boo,” Klaus says with a teasing grin and a puff of smoke blown at Ben.</p>
<p>He waves it away with a roll of his eyes and continues, “Honestly.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Klaus says at length staring at his own hands in the half-light as they round the corner, he adds, “I didn’t know what I was going to do without you. Then I was here, and it was just easier to focus on this and hope you turned up. I – I like this, the stability.”</p>
<p>“It’s good for you,” Ben agrees with a soft smile.</p>
<p>“Every time we walk past this alleyway,” Klaus tilts his head to point out said alleyway, “I can’t help but think it would be so easy to get my hands on something. I almost have a few times. Then I think of Dave, think of you, the people who need me and it’s still hard you know? But I can keep walking.”</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben says his name gently and Klaus tosses Ben a smile.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, totally fine,” Klaus replies swinging his arms at his side as they approach Maria’s apartment building</p>
<p>Ben frowns, far too used to Klaus, and asks gently, “Dave is he…?”</p>
<p>Klaus chews on his answer for the few minutes it takes for Maria to pull her keys out of her purse before he replies, “He’s alive, but he doesn’t know me. If I speak to him – well you know it’s the whole butterfly effect thing.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s quite how it works,” Ben says shaking his head before he continues, “Just our presence in the past is technically already changing it. That or, we’ve already travelled to the past in our own timeline and everything we do here will have already happened. Time travel is complicated.”</p>
<p>“We get it, you’re a nerd,” Klaus says making a silly face at Ben who only rolls his eyes as they step into Maria’s apartment.</p>
<p>“Tea?” Maria asks popping her head out from the kitchen.</p>
<p>“Si gracias,” Klaus says as he slumps onto the couch, tiredly shrugging off his shirt and pulling on a worn one that they picked up at the thrift store. Ben settles on the chair across from him watching him with warm eyes, “If dad could only see me now, working a respectable job, no drugs,” a huff of laughter, “Even using my powers. I suppose he could, he’s alive somewhere. Not really eager to find him though.”</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben says as Maria places a cup of tea on the table before him.</p>
<p>She’s pulled her hair out of her bun and it curls around her shoulders in a sheet of white and grey. Maria tangles her fingers through it as she smiles at Klaus and says, “I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight Klaus.”</p>
<p>“Night Maria,” Klaus replies watching as she walks down the hallway before he flops his head back on the couch.</p>
<p>Ben appears above him, looking down he shakes his head his eyes crinkling and he continues, “I’m happy for you.”</p>
<p>“Missed you too Ben,” Klaus replies and reaches out for his mug of tea listening to the crackle of the radio until he falls asleep, Ben watching over him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, what are we looking for exactly?” Harini questions adjusting her sweater and bumping her shoulder against Eve’s, who grins at her, the sunlight highlighting the blush on her cheeks.</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs taking a puff of his cigarette before he replies, “Any sign that my siblings might have ended up in a different decade, historical photos, uh art, even stories that maybe mention them?”</p>
<p>They don’t really talk about the time travel; it makes things easier.</p>
<p>“Well that’s easy,” Eve says with a roll of her eyes, “I’m sure we’ll be able to find five people scattered throughout all of human history.”</p>
<p>“Obviously, you don’t know my siblings,” Klaus replies as they continue walking, he glances over at Ben and then continues, “My siblings attract trouble, they’re like honey for it or something.”</p>
<p>“And what, you’re just excluded from that?” Harini asks with a grin digging her elbow into Klaus’ side.</p>
<p>He squawks almost dropping his cigarette, he catches it, and glares at her even as he primly replies, “I never said that.”</p>
<p>“No, you’re usually just the cause of trouble,” Ben says rolling his eyes with his arms crossed over his chest.</p>
<p>Klaus turns and glares at Ben adding a hiss for good measure as he responds, “How was I supposed to know that Vanya’s psychopath boyfriend would find the book!”</p>
<p>“Maybe if you had actually looked at it first,” Ben replies with a shake of his head before adding, “There probably was some valuable information in there.”</p>
<p>“Yeah dad’s notes on how to experiment on children,” Klaus replies stubbing his cigarette beneath his foot in a particularly vicious manner.</p>
<p>“Uh, Klaus, who are you talking to?” Eve asks staring at him with a raised brow and something amused to her face.</p>
<p>Klaus scrunches up his face and with a vague wave says, “My brother.”</p>
<p>“The dead one?” Harini questions.</p>
<p>“That’s the one, Ben says hi,” Klaus responds ignoring Ben rolling his eyes as they continue to walk down the street.</p>
<p>“Right and he’s been here since?” Harini questions ducking out of the way of a bicyclist.</p>
<p>“Like two days ago,” Klaus shrugs and when Harini frowns at him he adds, “I was busy! We had that shipment, and then there was that issue with Lola who was sick so I had to pull a double shift.”</p>
<p>“Alright we get it, Klaus,” Eve says with a laugh patting him on the arm as she adds, “So, this at least means your family probably isn’t dead?”</p>
<p>“Probably,” Klaus replies and then adds, “We probably don’t actually need to check the library.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully not,” Harini replies and then glancing over her shoulder with a quirk of her lips she replies, “But its good to know for certain.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods running his hands over the fabric of his coat to distract him from the thoughts of his sibling’s dead and gone.</p>
<p>What if they had all ended up in different time periods? He could totally see Allison as some kind of Cleopatra or Marie Antoinette running a royal court with savage glee, Diego would probably love the Medieval Ages the whole honour code and constant fighting, Five would probably have great fun right about now espionage lots of plots, Luther would end up with the cavemen they would appreciate his strength, and Vanya? Vanya would probably end up on a farm or as a musician.</p>
<p>“Hey, is Wood still giving Maria trouble about you staying?” Eve asks distracting Klaus from the mental image of Allison in court gowns.</p>
<p>Klaus groans dramatically and nods, “Maria doesn’t let anyone walk over her but he sure is trying. I’m not even certain why I mean it’s a two-bedroom apartment? I mean I know why; dude wants to sell to people with more cash.”</p>
<p>Harini groans leaning her head on Eve’s shoulder as she says, “Gentrification, next they’ll be putting a Woolworth’s here and some fancy restaurant.”</p>
<p>“And kicking us all out to new slums,” Eve agrees with a shake of her head her dark curls bouncing with the motion.</p>
<p>Klaus is going to reply when from above they hear someone yell, “Claire watch where you’re going!”</p>
<p>There’s a loud <em>creak </em>followed by the sound of something tearing.</p>
<p>He glances up just in time to watch the rusty panel of a balcony a few stories above give way, and with it a little girl falls backwards through the air; she looks impossibly small. Everything seems to happen suddenly all at once and in slow motion.</p>
<p>Klaus can just briefly catch a glimpse of the horror on Harini and Eve’s faces as he reaches out and <em>pulls</em>.</p>
<p>It’s like pure ice coursing down his spine, like the feeling of frostbite just starting to creep in, biting at his toes and fingers, chattering right up through his teeth.</p>
<p>Slowly, ever so slowly, the girl’s fall slows to a stop until she’s hovering a few feet above the ground and giggling a faint blue glow surrounding her. For a minute they all stare, no doubt any nearby pedestrians are also staring.</p>
<p>But all Klaus can really focus on is the sudden wave of exhaustion as Harini steps forward and scoops the girl into her arms. Klaus lets out a ragged exhale and sways, stumbling back a few steps until Eve steadies him with one hand.</p>
<p>He can faintly see Ben staring at him concern but Klaus can kind of only focus on the sudden pounding in his skull and how much he sort of wants to die regardless of the preteen girl and her bicycle.</p>
<p>Right apparently levitation is a thing then.</p>
<p>He’s kind of mad that dad was right after all.</p>
<p>“Are you okay Klaus?” Eve asks gently as Harini speaks to the little girl who has dark hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes.</p>
<p>Klaus inhales and exhales until his heart doesn’t feel like it wants to jump out of his chest quite so much and replies, “I think I will be… eventually. Haven’t really done that before. Like ever.”</p>
<p>“You saved her Klaus, it was amazing,” Eve replies staring at him with wide eyes and for a moment all Klaus can see is the aftermath of a bank robbery or some other crime. All those people who didn’t know them staring at adoration as if they were a perfect family instead of the dysfunctional messes they actually were.</p>
<p>The door to the apartment building slams open and a familiar man runs outside yelling, “Claire!”</p>
<p>He stops short at the sight of Claire in Harini’s arms, and Klaus has a moment to place the face as Nick’s, the guy who tried to rob <em>Las Mesa</em>. For a long few seconds, there is silence before Harini sets Claire on the ground and she runs to Nick wrapping her thin arms around his legs.</p>
<p>“You – you saved her,” Nick stumbles staring at Harini.</p>
<p>She shakes her head and nods at Klaus, “He did.”</p>
<p>Nick stares at Klaus in silence, his face paling as recognition dawns before he says slowly, “You saved Claire?”</p>
<p>Klaus nods hesitantly and says, “I couldn’t just let her…”</p>
<p>Ben rolls his eyes where he’s leaning against the building but Klaus can see him smiling. The prick.</p>
<p>Nick’s mouth opens and closes before he straightens his shoulders and says, “Thank you for saving her,” one of Nick’s hands reaches down to run through Claire’s hair before he continues tearfully, “I don’t know what I would have done… It’s been so hard since our mom’s…” Nick frowns and shakes his head, with a nervous expression he continues, “Thank you. I’m – I’m sorry about trying to rob your restaurant we uh really needed the money.”</p>
<p>“No one was hurt,” Klaus shrugs and then adds, “Just maybe try to plan these things better next time. If you’re going to rob somewhere, go for something that won’t hurt other people who can’t afford it.”</p>
<p>Nick blinks in surprise staring at Klaus for a long moment before he nods glancing down at Claire.</p>
<p>“You might want to get that fixed,” Harini adds glancing up at the balcony now lacking most of the balcony part.</p>
<p>Nick nods picking Claire up, he glances one more time at Klaus and says, “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Then he ducks into the building leaving the four of them alone.</p>
<p>Klaus exhales leaning against Eve for a moment before he straightens up and digs through his pockets for his pack. Harini across from him raises a brow and asks, “Have experience with stealing Klaus?”</p>
<p>It’s not necessarily judgemental which he appreciates.</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs, “Sometimes we do hard things to survive.” Or to find a fix.</p>
<p>He glances over at Ben who has his arms crossed over his chest, his expression twisted up into a frown. Harini nods and replies, “You don’t need to tell us that. So, the whole floating thing, that’s new?”</p>
<p>“Yep,” Klaus replies as they step onto one of the busy streets, he takes a puff of his cigarette and then continues, “Hence the feeling like I am going to pass out.”</p>
<p>Eve glances at him in concern but Klaus waves it off. He’s felt like shit before, hell it’s usually like that, this just feels like the aftermath of one of their training sessions. Which ugh.</p>
<p>“If you want, we can go home?” Eve suggests still looping her arm through his. Klaus appreciates it, he feels about one wrong step from tipping over the curb.</p>
<p>“Nah, I’ll just take a nap at the library, they’re supposed to be quiet aren’t they,” Klaus responds stubbing his cigarette beneath his heel.</p>
<p>He catches a glimpse of Harini and Eve trading a glance before Ben interjects, “Maybe you should just go home.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine,” Klaus retorts glaring at Ben and daring him to say otherwise.</p>
<p>Harini sighs and shakes her head, “Fine, let’s go I needed to look into something anyway.”</p>
<p>“I suppose this means we won’t get to meet Ben tonight,” Eve says swinging her arm with Klaus’.</p>
<p>“Nah but Ben is boring so you’re not missing much,” Klaus responds ignoring Ben’s offended huff as they trip into the library. Immediately, he spots a set of nice couches tucked into one corner.</p>
<p>“Go on, we’ll wake you if we find anything,” Harini says with a shake of her head, bumping her shoulder against Klaus’ and stealing back her girlfriend. Klaus just nods and makes his way over. Before he can really think about it, he’s passed out dreams of the war filling the silence of the library.</p>
<p>Spoilers; they don’t find anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Klaus is just stubbing out his cigarette and trying to rub some heat in his arms, it gets cold in the mornings, when he hears the sound of voices drifting through the door. He can pick out Ernesto, John, Elliot, and Bobby, their four resident bitchy old men. No doubt they’re arguing about the economy again, or maybe complaining about Russia.</p>
<p>Sharing a glance with Ben, who shrugs still not quite used to the patterns certain customers keep, Klaus turns and enters the restaurant.</p>
<p>It goes quiet instantly, which isn’t saying a lot when there’s only Will, Mr. Business Suit, in the corner, the table of four old men, and a woman with her kid. Klaus raises a brow glancing over to Sasha who has a pinched expression as she states clearly, “Klaus has been a lot of help this past month. He helped Eve find her mom’s will, and he helped Mrs. Santos close the case for her husband.”</p>
<p>Elliot, who’s never been a fan of Klaus on the virtue that he’s well Klaus, scoffs his eyes flickering over to Klaus for a long moment before he, rather loudly, states, “I don’t trust him. How are we to know he isn’t some plant sent by the cops, or some other organisation looking to make a quick buck on us.”</p>
<p>“It is suspicious that he just turns up out of the blue one day,” John says glancing over with a vaguely apologetic expression. Gee thanks.</p>
<p>Elliot, having received some verbal support continues, “Exactly, I’m not saying you’re a bad guy Klaus, but how are we supposed to trust you.”</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs one hand reaching up to close around his dog tags. Sasha raises a brow planting her hands on her hips she replies, “Just because he’s a skinny white boy you’re not going to trust him? Klaus lost his partner in Korea, connect the dots, Elliot. He has just as much a reason to be here as anyone else. So, what, he randomly shows up, a lot of people do. This community is built of people who have nowhere else to go.”</p>
<p>Elliot looks a bit flabbergasted after that. He glances over to Klaus, who still has his hand wrapped around his dog tags and lets out a gruff nod before replying, “Suppose I owe you a bit of an apology. We’re not used to change,” here he nods at his fellow old men, “And this century seems to be full of it.”</p>
<p>“It’s all right,” Klaus replies with a wave of his hands stepping further into the restaurant as he continues, “Change is hard to deal with.”</p>
<p>Klaus supposes he could say he knows from experience.</p>
<p>Maybe he’s still experiencing a bit of culture shock.</p>
<p>The men just nod and everything returns to as normal as anything ever is in a restaurant.</p>
<p>Klaus picks up the woman’s order with a charming smile and pauses by the counter with Sasha who raises a brow and asks, “You okay?”</p>
<p>“Trust me I’ve heard worse, heck I’ve received worse. They have a right to be suspicious, I’m sure it's been hard,” Klaus replies filling a mug with coffee and glancing over his shoulder at Ben who is shaking his head.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t mean they have an excuse to be rude,” Sasha replies with a shrug and then, “Klaus watch out!”</p>
<p>A mug of coffee slides towards and then off the counter. Klaus frowns and reaches out <em>pulling</em> on that part of him that’s ice cold. The mug pauses in its ascent, the coffee attempting to flee, frozen until the mug rights itself on the counter.</p>
<p>“It’s still hard to believe every time I see that,” Sasha says with a shake of her head a touch of wonder in her eyes as she adds, “Like real-live superpowers.”</p>
<p>“Well, you know we were superheroes – I was just mostly on lookout duty,” Klaus replies with a shrug glancing to where Ben flashes him a thumbs up. They’ve been practising every night, lifting a mug of tea, floating his shirt to him. Mostly, it leaves him with a headache but he’s getting better, getting faster.</p>
<p>Dad would probably almost be proud.</p>
<p>Who’s he kidding, dad would unimpressed with his rate of progress and would invent some torturous methods of improving his skills.</p>
<p>Sasha shakes her head and takes the mug asking, “Can you take the breakfast special to Joel?”</p>
<p>Klaus glances over his shoulder at where Joel has joined the old man table and nods. Patting her on the shoulder Klaus reaches forward and picks up the food from the Kitchen, nodding to Ferdinand who only rolls his eyes at Klaus.</p>
<p>Up close, Klaus can see a black aura around Joel, it’s dark, writhing like flames, and Klaus flashes back to the day Nick tried to rob <em>La Mesa</em>. He had seen that same dark aura around Sasha.</p>
<p>“One breakfast special coming right up,” Klaus says with a grin and sets the plate down on the table before Joel.</p>
<p>“Klaus we were just arguing and we need your opinion,” Bobby begins before he can dart off to go handle another table, likely as some form of trying to make amends.</p>
<p>“What are we arguing about this time?” Klaus asks with a smile leaning against a nearby chair.</p>
<p>Ernesto rolls his eyes, “It's hardly an argument when I’m right, isn’t it? What’s your opinion on our newly elected President Kennedy?”</p>
<p>“As in John F Kennedy?” Klaus questions tilting his head, the old men nod, “Well I’m sure he’ll have an explosive impact on America in one way or another.”</p>
<p>He resists the urge to laugh at his own joke and glances to Ben who is shaking his head. What it's kind of funny. He can just see one of his siblings trying to save JFK, which poor Jacqueline though.</p>
<p>John rolls his eyes and says, “He seems to be firmly against the soviets which is all we can ask for in a President.”</p>
<p>“Not all we can ask for,” Bobby replies rolling his eyes.</p>
<p>“Well, I’ll leave you gentlemen to your civil discussion, might I remind you of what happened last time it got uncivil,” Klaus replies with a cheery smile.</p>
<p>Elliot huffs, “Yeah, yeah you don’t need to threaten us with Maria kid.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods shifting and accidentally bumping his hand against Joel’s shoulder. In front of his eyes, a series of images pass, stilted as if trying to move, Joel on the stairway, tripping, falling, dead at the bottom.</p>
<p>Klaus jerks back as if he’s been burned trying to shake the vision? Whatever it was, out of his sight as he says to the old men around the table, “Be careful, lots of slippery surfaces around apparently.”</p>
<p>Before they can respond he leaves pausing at the counter to take a deep breath.</p>
<p>“Klaus, what was that?” Ben asks staring at him in concern.</p>
<p>He glances at his shoulder where the old men are resuming their argument and whispers, “I don’t know. But I think I just saw how Joel’s going to die.”</p>
<p>Ben’s eyes are wide as he glances from Klaus to Joel.</p>
<p>They don’t have any longer to consider it because the woman is waving Klaus down and Sasha is talking to Will. Exhaling, Klaus doesn’t linger on the dark aura, somehow darker than black, surrounding Joel and gets back to work.</p>
<p>Joel dies that night, tripped on the stairs, broke his neck.</p>
<p>He hears it from Sasha the next day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! The next chapter will have a time skip of about a year or so just fair warning as this is all I wanted to write to establish things. Also, please let me know if I'm being insensitive about anything, I'm trying to be aware of implicit bias and harmful tropes as I write. Anyways, comments are always super appreciated, till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, I am here with another chapter! A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter. Apologies this one took so long, I've been working on a fic where each chapter takes a few weeks to write. I'll try to update a bit more regularly for the next few weeks. Read on and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Roughly nine Months Later</em>
</p>
<p>Klaus swings into La Mesa for the afternoon shift nodding a greeting to Maria who only rolls her eyes, Anita, their temporary hire, smiles and hands him an apron. Klaus ties it around his waist with a flourish winking at Ben who only rolls his eyes glancing idly at the newspaper; he believes there might be some evidence of their siblings eventually.</p>
<p>He handles a few tables, making chatter with Fernandez, their regular lunch customer, and talking to a young woman who was just passing through the neighbourhood and was attracted by the sign, the one Klaus recently repainted with Eve and Harini.</p>
<p>Around three, Delores sweeps into the restaurant, she’s something of a regal old woman with a lined but kind face, apparently, she and Maria met in a knitting club. Klaus nods to Maria and directs Delores to the back room, which looks a bit better than when he first started out with the seances. They haven’t gone the whole mystical look, but the chairs are comfier and there’s always a box of tissues on hand now.</p>
<p>Ben hovers in one of the empty chairs rolling his eyes as Klaus asks for an item belonging to the deceased, her brother who never returned home one night, and then asks for a short description of Timothy.</p>
<p>It’s easier now slipping into the <em>other</em>. It still sends chills down his spine and sometimes – sometimes Klaus wants to stay there drifting until he doesn’t feel much of anything. It happened once, he just started drifting; Ben wasn’t pleased by which Klaus means he was terrified. So, Klaus searches for Timothy one hand wrapped around the tarnished pocket watch until he finds the spirit.</p>
<p>Timothy materialises almost translucent and glowing an unearthly blue which spills across the room and gathers around Klaus’ hands. He catches sight briefly of the expression of grief that flashes across Delores’ face before it’s carefully packed away.</p>
<p>He rises from the table giving them the time to speak, and turns to face Ben who raises a brow asking softly, “Okay?”</p>
<p>Klaus nods unable to dismiss the uneasy feeling, even here in the backroom with only a small window set near the ceiling. The past few days he has felt strange, stretched out. He keeps thinking <em>God I could use something </em>and has to dismiss it, distracting himself with Harini and Eve’s attempts at a community garden or Maria’s latest phone call with her son, her expression lined.</p>
<p>He should be better at it now, resisting the urge to get high, to just get out. But well, some days are better than others.</p>
<p>He returns to Delores and Timothy a moment later and receives a brief nod from the woman. With a slow exhale, Timothy dissipates and the pale blue late fades from the room. Delores wipes at her face with a handkerchief before she flashes him a watery smile, “Thank you, Klaus.”</p>
<p>It still feels good, helping people. He was expecting sometime around the second month that it would get boring, the sensation would sort of just become dull as with everything else. And of course, it has gotten a bit repetitive, but he still likes helping people, gives them a catharsis he’s never going to get. The money helps too.</p>
<p>“No problem, anything for one of Maria’s friends,” Klaus replies as they walk towards the door.</p>
<p>Delores nods slipping Klaus a crisp ten as she continues, “She’s lucky to have someone like you around.”</p>
<p>“I’m just happy to be here,” Klaus replies and in a way it’s true. He’s happy here, meeting new people every day, nights spent at the cinema with his friends, or in with Maria as she painfully corrects his latest row in the scarf he’s working on.</p>
<p>The bright light of the restaurant greets them along with the usual bustle of conversation as they step back into the restaurant proper. Delores flashes Klaus a final grateful smile and goes to speak to Maria. Klaus nods to Anita and picks up a few of the tables.</p>
<p>Sometime towards the evening, Sasha appears.</p>
<p>She’s holding her son, Jeremiah, in her arms, he’s already got a head of dark hair and gurgles excitably at everything. Klaus sweeps over to press a loud kiss to her cheek and one to Jeremiah’s cheek as he comments, “New perm?”</p>
<p>Her hair hangs about her shoulders carefully styled to frame her face, she looks lovely as always. Sasha perks up at the comment wrapping one arm around Klaus and tucking him into her side as she replies fondly, “Charmer. And how are you doing? Still, as much as a string bean as ever, I see.”</p>
<p>“Hey, not for lack of trying, you’ve seen Maria trying to feed me,” Klaus retorts with a grin earning a short call of his name from Maria before he continues, “Table for two this fine evening?”</p>
<p>Sasha shakes her head but lets Klaus lead to her a table near the front which is for the most part rather isolated. She settles slowly in the chair and Klaus with a grimace, questions, “Job still taking a kick at you?”</p>
<p>She just nods before saying, “I can’t wait till he’s old enough for school.”</p>
<p>Sasha couldn’t afford to pay for daycare and work at <em>La Mesa, </em>her new place, janitorial or manufacturing, provides childcare. They haven’t seen her often in the past month or so and Klaus misses her, misses her humour, her hugs, her warm smiles.</p>
<p>It’s a reminder that even if nothing is changing for Klaus, the lives of the people around him are still subject to change.</p>
<p>“Can I get you two anything to drink?” Klaus questions forcing his mind away from a depressing spiral with forced cheer; it’s usually worked before.</p>
<p>Sasha levels him with a knowing stare but doesn’t comment instead saying, “Warm milk for Jeremiah and water for me. Thank you, Klaus.”</p>
<p>“It’s no problem, Sasha,” Klaus replies flashing a smile at Jeremiah and earning one in return before he whirls behind the counter. He takes another order in the meantime before he swings back to Sasha’s table.</p>
<p>She accepts the glass of water with a smile and says, “It is new – the perm.”</p>
<p>“Tiffany’s?” Klaus questions leaning against the table muffling a tiny smile as Jeremiah gurgles happily. In the gold light of the evening, Sasha seems to glow if only for a moment like burnished bronze.</p>
<p>Sasha shakes her head running a finger gently through her baby’s hair before she continues, “Odessa’s? It’s on the main street, I was on my way home and I saw it and I – I just needed to treat myself you know?”</p>
<p>“Amen to that,” Klaus replies thinking longingly of sparing what he had for one of those dollar store face masks on occasion, or really nice chocolate. Everyone deserves to treat themselves. He adds, “It looks lovely.”</p>
<p>“They did a good job,” Sasha replies letting Klaus go as with a wave he darts to the window delivering a few plates and taking another order before pausing in front of Sasha’s table once more.</p>
<p>Sasha studies him for a long moment her lips pinched together and a furrow in her brow as she asks carefully, “Your sisters what did they look like?”</p>
<p>Klaus raises a brow, thinks of bad sketches and then Ben’s better ones, before he replies, “Well Vanya’s kind of tiny, has a mousy sort of presence, she’s very hesitant, has dark brown hair, looks a bit like me, I mean of our siblings we’re the ones that probably look the most alike. Allison, she had these curls the last time I saw her, it was a really nice bleach job, she’s got this presence you know, uh she looks more like you if you know what I mean.”</p>
<p>“And would she have – would she not be able to speak?” Sasha asks gently and for a moment Klaus’ heart starts thudding in his chest, thudding hard enough that he’s worried it might give out.</p>
<p>Ben settles a hand cool as ice on his shoulder and its enough to shock him into reality as he nods, “Yeah she uh – there was an accident.”</p>
<p>Sasha doesn’t press and this is why he loves her.</p>
<p>She lets him dart off to handle a few orders, delivering platters of steaming hot food and cleaning a few tables before he pauses at her table again. Maria is there cooing over Jeremiah and rocking him in her arms. There is something soft and wistful to her expression where she gazes down at Jeremiah and it settles somewhere like an ache in Klaus’ chest.</p>
<p>Maria grins and beckons him forward before dumping Jeremiah into his arms. Klaus freezes for a moment, he’s held babies before, he held Claire when she was swaddled up in blankets and had her mother’s eyes. Still Ben rolls his eyes and flick’s Klaus until he adjusts his grip around Jeremiah gazing into his eyes.</p>
<p>They’re so trusting.</p>
<p>Jeremiah doesn’t care that Klaus can see ghosts, that he was a junkie, probably doesn’t care much about anything except for sleeping and eating. It must be nice to be a baby.</p>
<p>Sasha shakes her head, her eyes shining before a frown pinches the expression and she says, “Keep an eye out, I’ve been seeing some men in suits around here, they were over on Charles street, and I swear I saw one near the old apartment block.”</p>
<p>Maria scowls shaking her head she says, “Probably here to check out the land again. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that it is ‘prime real estate ‘.”</p>
<p>“They could also be plants,” Sasha says scrubbing a hand over her face, “You know how they are about immigrants.”</p>
<p>Maria’s expression darkens and the lights seem suddenly dull, burned out as she replies, “I’ll pass the word around.”</p>
<p>Sasha nods, that’s all they really can do, before turning slightly towards Klaus, “I should probably be getting Jeremiah home. When you have an afternoon off, come with me to Odessa’s?”</p>
<p>“Sounds like a plan,” Klaus says not willing quite yet to commit to hope; in the end it only gets you hurt.</p>
<p>Sasha nods rising to her feet she sweeps Maria into a hug, sagging into it before she pulls back and carefully tucks Klaus into another hug. He gets the faint whiff of her perfume, something citrusy and Jeremiah gurgling before she pulls back and carefully takes her baby into her arms.</p>
<p>With a final chorus of farewells, she ducks out of the restaurant. Klaus watches her go for a long moment something tight in his chest. If Allison really is here… he won’t be alone (Ben is here but he’s always been there) it could mean the others might come as well.</p>
<p>Shaking his head, Klaus flashes Maria a smile and goes to help Anita.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The afternoon is pleasant, a sunny sort of day, picturesque, with puffy clouds and a blue sky. Sasha, her arm looped through his, hums under her breath clothed in a deep blue dress which flares at the hips.</p>
<p>“Where’s Jeremiah?” Klaus finds himself asking as his eyes slide casually over their surroundings, the bank, the convenience store, and in the distance a hair salon.</p>
<p>Sasha slows slightly pausing to flash him a quick little quirk of her lips as she replies, “Harini and Eve are looking after him.”</p>
<p>“You trust them with your child and not me?” Klaus asks partially in mock offence dramatically flinging a hand across his chest</p>
<p>Sasha just rolls her eyes and replies pointedly, “They don’t burn water.”</p>
<p>“It was one time. Besides I’m great with kids,” Klaus replies and it’s sort of true. He doesn’t know about babies, but kids? Kids are fun, they tell it like it is, and they’re always up for a bit of mischief. Kids also think he is weird which is great.</p>
<p>“I’ve seen it happen twice,” Sasha responds staring at him for a long moment before she shakes her head and adds, “But that’s beside the point. Eve and Harini babysit all the time.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods, no argument to be made which earns an amused smile from Sasha before she adds, “So, were you waiting outside that hardware store again?”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” Klaus asks the picture of innocence ignoring Ben rolling his eyes.</p>
<p>Sasha shakes her head with a huff of laughter and says, “Come on, I know you go there at least once a week on your lunch break. Why?”</p>
<p>“It’s a nice place to eat lunch,” Klaus replies with a shrug and doesn’t mention how sometimes he catches a glimpse of Dave and it both brightens day and reminds him starkly of all that he’s lost. Someone would probably tell him to move on, but Klaus doesn’t think he ever will.</p>
<p>Dave was the first person that really cared. Sure, he had hookups, even relationships, but they didn’t care not really. Even his family doesn’t care, or if they do its because of some twisted sense of familial obligation. The only other person who cares is dead. So, Klaus doubts he’ll ever really recover from Dave, and that’s okay he’s accepted it.</p>
<p>Sasha makes a sound of disbelief and says, “Fine keep your secrets.”</p>
<p>“It’s nothing, honestly Sasha,” Klaus responds because that’s all it can ever be now, nothing. Ben’s made that clear enough to him and logically even Klaus knows that; the whole step on a butterfly thing.</p>
<p>“We’re here,” Sasha says pausing just beside the hair salon, a little off from the window so that Klaus can peer inside and gather his courage, what little he has.</p>
<p>He wonders if Allison will recognise him? Of course, he’ll recognise him, she recognised him even though it had been what, ten years? Still, he looks a bit different he supposes, casting a glance at his reflection in the window. His hair is longer for one, but he can’t help but notice he looks healthier. Maybe it’s the regular meals or probably, as Ben would argue, the lack of drugs. Sure, he’s still got bags the size of Texas under his eyes and he’ll never be able to hold a tan, but he thinks he looks better.</p>
<p>Klaus glances through the window into the salon, he can see black women, settled in the chairs, cutting hair, he searches for Allison waiting for the moment where she’ll suddenly be there.</p>
<p>He doesn’t have long to look when Sasha’s hand tightens suddenly around his arm and she whispers harshly, “Klaus.”</p>
<p>Two men are walking down the street towards them, they’re the perfectly American, clean-cut, pressed suit type of men and their path leads towards Klaus and Sasha. He steps slightly in front of Sasha to draw their attention his body coiled up with tension.</p>
<p>For a moment, he has to wonder if they’re from the Commission, here to kill him for messing up the timeline. His mind decides then and there to remind him of that dingy closet in the motel room, the feel of cigarettes pressed into his skin, or the inability to breathe drowning through a towel.</p>
<p>He wonders if he dies again will he come back? It would be the first time. Would he see the preteen with the bicycle again he wonders?</p>
<p>Sasha’s hand tightens around his arm slightly and he’s there on the streets once more, breathing in the dusty air.</p>
<p>The two men stop in front of them, almost identical in appearance, brown hair, angular jaws, tinted glasses.</p>
<p>The one on the right says, “Klaus Hargreeves.”</p>
<p>He nods once, his hands tucked into his pocket as Ben hovers nervously at his side prepared to act if necessary. In one fluid motion, the two men pull from within their jacket’s badges, the one on the left says, “FBI, please come with us.”</p>
<p>“Am I under arrest?” Klaus questions carefully. He presses his shoulder gently against Sasha’s briefly connecting eyes.</p>
<p>“No, we’d just like to ask you some questions,” The one on the right says with a smile that might have been charming if it weren’t so impersonal.</p>
<p>Klaus nods knowing there isn’t really a choice in the matter. He folds Sasha into a hug and whispers into her ear, “Tell Maria. If I’m not back in a week… I’m sorry. Be careful all of you.”</p>
<p>Sasha nods, over her shoulder, through the windows, Klaus locks eyes with Allison. He sees the moment of recognition flash over her features as her hand comes up to hover over her throat. But he can’t stay.</p>
<p>Klaus pulls back pressing a kiss to Sasha’s cheek before he turns and follows the two men in suits. <br/><br/></p>
<p>They lead him to a squat grey building tucking in amongst a hoard of similar industrial buildings. It looks like the sort of building easily mistaken for a school with very few windows and a general atmosphere of dread.</p>
<p>The inside is clean and bland, the sort of commonality found in any office building as Klaus is silently marched through a long hallway. His heart has stopped beating in his chest probably somewhere before he actually entered the building. Ben hovers at his side carefully observing their surroundings and pretending not to also be a nervous wreck.</p>
<p>They duck through a few doors which are accessed only by scanning a card before finally Klaus is pulled into an interrogation room. Perhaps that is not actually what it is called, but Klaus can recognise easily enough the single chair and table, the too-bright lights, along with the wall of one-way glass. No space, leave the place that was what Darla, a prostitute he was friendly with, always said.</p>
<p>The suit on the left says, “Someone will be in to speak with you in a few minutes.”</p>
<p>Then they are gone, leaving Klaus alone in the room. He’s tempted for a moment to test the theory, but he knows for certain that the glass is one-way and someone on the other end is likely watching his movement.</p>
<p>Shrugging, Klaus settles into the chair to wait. He’s played this game before, he’s not sure how many times he’s been arrested or just picked up. A few times, it’s just been interrogation because he was at the scene of the crime or something similar.</p>
<p>Detective Patch recognised him for a reason. The reminder that she’s dead settles somewhere in his chest, not quite heavy, just there, something he can’t swallow like when he first tried taking pills.</p>
<p>It wasn’t fair. But he knows well enough by now that life isn’t fair. If it was, he probably wouldn’t have died trying to help Luther, or he wouldn’t have lost Dave or, or. There’s no use contemplating, all that you can do is just deal with your lot in life as best as you can.</p>
<p>For the longest time that was drugs but well things change.</p>
<p>The door opens almost silently on well-oiled hinges and admits a man with blond hair, watery blue eyes, and a strong jaw, another typical American man in a suit. His shoulders are a straight line and he studies Klaus for a long moment, attempting to put him under the microscope before he begins, “Klaus, that’s a German name isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“So, I’ve heard, never been myself,” Klaus replies blithely, attempting to recall half-heartedly if any of their missions had ever taken them to Germany. They had been to Paris which was close.</p>
<p>“Interesting,” The man takes a few steps closer looming over Klaus as he continues, “It’s interesting because you see Klaus, we can’t find any sign of your existence, no birth certificates, no passwords, not even a library card. In any country.”</p>
<p>“You’ll have to blame my father for that, he had a penchant to illegally adopt children,” Klaus replies with a shrug, the words are true but the man obviously takes it to be a lie his brows furrowing and his teeth showing with a grim smile.</p>
<p>“I’m Agent Wells, Klaus, I’d like if you could answer a few questions for me,” Agent Wells says looming further over Klaus. It’s not that intimidating compared to a pimp who hasn’t been paid or even compared to Reginald Hargreeves.</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs, “Sure.”</p>
<p>He catches sight of distaste or disgust in Agent Well’s eyes as the man’s face shifts before he continues, “When did you arrive in Dallas Texas?”</p>
<p>“I think maybe five months ago, could have been seven,” Klaus replies, casually taking a small amount of pleasure in Agent Wells’ anger and Ben rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.</p>
<p>Agent Wells checks a folder he brought in with him, probably for show, and continues, “And you’ve been working at a restaurant owned by Maria Castaneda since then?”</p>
<p>Klaus nods.</p>
<p>“And is it true you’ve been doing seances?” Wells asks, this time with a certain gleam to his eyes.</p>
<p>Ah so this is what its about.</p>
<p>“I’ve done a few,” Klaus replies shortly.</p>
<p>Agent Wells nods pacing around the room for a minute before he turns on Klaus again and says, “An eyewitness account says you’re able to summon the spirits of the deceased?”</p>
<p>“Well I try, sometimes people see what they want to see,” Klaus replies attempting to both sound like he can’t actually do it but wants people to believe he can. He eyes survey the room catching sight of three or four ghosts all who have appeared to die rather grim deaths.</p>
<p>“Could you summon one now?” Agent Wells asks carefully, playing the game.</p>
<p>Klaus pretends to think about it for a moment before he replies, “I could try. Sometimes I’m just not in the right headspace you know?”</p>
<p>“And when would you be in the right headspace Klaus?” Wells asks, clearly having already pegged Klaus for some delusional junkie. Which is fine, always better to be underestimated.</p>
<p>“Oh, there’s a lot of things that can affect it, the weather, the shifting of the earth’s plates, the moon, what I had for breakfast,” Klaus responds earnestly the words a honey-sweet lie on his tongue, except for breakfast, that can affect his powers. Things just don’t work as well on an empty stomach.</p>
<p>“Well, why don’t you try, the government would be willing to pay you handsomely,” Wells responds with a smile that reminds Klaus of the grease of the fryers in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Once, he might have jumped at the chance to make a quick buck, anything to buy more drugs. Things are a bit different now.</p>
<p>“I’ll try.”</p>
<p>Klaus closes his eyes and focuses on his breathing, he used to do seances, fake ones to earn a quick buck or two. He remembers the dramatics, the use of a few cheap tricks. He doubts Wells would fall for something similar.</p>
<p>He takes a few moments just focusing on his breathing, letting his face twist up into something concentrated before he exhales raggedly and replies, “No good chief, no fish took the bait today.”</p>
<p>Agent Wells studies Klaus with an expression that says he knows the game they’re playing.</p>
<p>Suddenly serious, Agent Wells steps forward attempting to loom over Klaus as he says, “We know you can summon spirits, Klaus. This would be much easier if we all just work together. We just need you to find some information for us, it isn’t that hard.”</p>
<p>“What speak to a few KGB spies and then I get to walk free?” Klaus questions with a little wave of his hand before continuing in an equally teasing manner, “Even if I could properly summon spirits, I doubt you would let me walk free. People who can do things like that are ‘valuable’,” his face drops before he continues, “So, I really don’t see how I can help Agent Wells.”</p>
<p>“You can help prevent the United States from falling to Russia!” Agent Wells snaps banging his fist suddenly on the table to earn a reaction.</p>
<p>Klaus watches coolly, more than used to such outbursts at the dinner table and the nature of life on the streets.</p>
<p>Wells scowls, “I think it would be in your best interest to help us here Klaus. After all, no passport, no birth certificate, how do we know you’re not a Russian plant?”</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs and replies, “Bold of you to assume that I would be a good spy Agent Wells.”</p>
<p>“Вы ведь говорите по-русски?” Wells speaks the words dropping sharply off his lips.</p>
<p>Klaus laughs, “Sorry, I never learned Russian, German sure, French, Spanish, and Latin too, dad was a stickler for the classics. But never Russian,” Klaus replies leaning casually in his chair. Vanya was the one who got to learn Russian, Klaus just knows a few words, most of them curses.</p>
<p>“And what about those friends of yours, aren’t some of them undocumented?” Wells demands with another one of those polished smiles, like the pomade with which he slicks back his hair.</p>
<p>“As far as I’m aware all of them are documented,” Klaus responds, or at least they have very good fakes.</p>
<p>Wells scowls frustrated and continues, “We could charge you with sodomy Klaus, throw you in jail. It’s not a nice place there, especially for men like you.”</p>
<p>Wow using the threat of prison rape, how original. Also, he understands he’s in the sixties, but could they stop treating it as a joke or punishment, seriously? It’s a real problem and he knows from experience.</p>
<p>“On what grounds, I spend my nights knitting or with two women,” Klaus responds and it's true, he used to hook up quite often. These days? Not so much.</p>
<p>“The court doesn’t necessarily need proper evidence Klaus,” Wells responds with a tilted smile, “We can throw you in prison or lock you up. Wouldn’t it be easier to cooperate with us?”</p>
<p>“That’s assuming that my ‘abilities’ work Agent Wells. And, putting me in prison won’t help you,” Klaus responds well aware that they are going in circles.</p>
<p>“And what would convince you, Klaus?” Wells asks leaning over the rickety table and staring into Klaus’ eyes with his own watery blue eyes.</p>
<p>He shakes his head, “Nothing, because there’s no guarantee if I help you that you’ll ever let me go free.”</p>
<p>“And there’s no guarantee we’ll let you go free now Klaus. It’s in your best interest to help us,” Agent Wells responds leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest as if he’s won.</p>
<p>“Then it appears we’re at a stalemate,” Klaus responds narrowing his eyes.</p>
<p>Wells scowls and responds, “Even if you get out, you can’t go back to your friends, we know where to find you, Klaus. You might as well help us.”</p>
<p>“Nope, I don’t think I will,” Klaus responds, he’s never been good at listening to authority.</p>
<p>Agent Wells stands up straight and with a blank expression states, “I’ll give you some time to think about it. Until later Klaus.”</p>
<p>Then man leaves the room the door clicking silently shut and a lock engaging with a faint buzz.</p>
<p>“He’s right, he has you caught,” Ben says leaning against the door his arms crossed over his chest.</p>
<p>Klaus hums in agreement, a snatch of a song but doesn’t bother replying out loud. It’s not something they both don’t already know. He can feel his chest beginning to seize up and the threat of an oncoming panic attack if he thinks about it too much.</p>
<p>About being trapped again.</p>
<p>Even if he escapes, he won’t be able to go back to the life he’s made for himself. Again, life’s not fair.</p>
<p>He’ll figure it out. He always does.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! Please feel free to imagine Klaus as Robert Sheehan in the Misfits, you know with the curly hair? Anyways, theories are always welcome as are comments. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, y'all I'm here with another chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter! A lot of you were surprised, so uh prepare to be surprised further? Anyway, read on and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They don’t give him any water. It’s a small thing to notice, but Klaus is cold, the lights above are too bright, like a bad hangover, and his mouth is parched. He probably shouldn’t have expected anything but it still sits, a little kernel of annoyance, burrowing into his gut and reminding him of the helplessness of the situation.</p>
<p>They’ll probably leave him here overnight, give him more time to think about it.</p>
<p>Klaus exhales roughly and shifts leaning back in the uncomfortable metal chair, trying to find any position that is marginally less uncomfortable than the one before it. Ben watches him with narrow eyes, his face scrunched up in a familiar expression of worry, but he doesn’t say anything, just watches Klaus.</p>
<p>Sighing, Klaus tilts his head back and lets his eyes slide shut, he’s spent whole nights in the mausoleum, an uncomfortable night is nothing compared to that. Still, at least he knew he would leave the mausoleum eventually (probably).</p>
<p>There’s no guarantee of that here.</p>
<p>Even if he escapes, which is actually relatively easy all things considered, where would he go? Settle down in another small neighbourhood, start a new life, again? He doesn’t want that, doesn’t want to leave his friends.</p>
<p>He’ll have to do it, eventually right? He can’t just stay here in the past forever. Can he?</p>
<p>And if he agrees? Ignoring the possibility of tests, experiments, more poking and prodding. Even if they let him go free, he would always be at their beck and call, summoned to speak to whatever deceased spy they could get their hands on.</p>
<p>Klaus shifts once more in the uncomfortable chair chasing the thoughts away for a moment. Instead, he lets himself sink into the <em>other</em>, words don’t really describe it well, it’s like water perhaps, or maybe what the underneath of quicksand would be like. It’s cold, so cold it burns and yet at the same time there is no sensation. He can feel spirits nearby, souls bobbing and hovering little sparks of light.</p>
<p>For a moment, he is one of those drifting lights, one in a thousand, in a million. Sometimes, its hard to contemplate how many people have died throughout human history, plagues, war, and simple old age.</p>
<p>It’s easy to get lost there, in that cool nothingness, to simply float away.</p>
<p>And then he does.</p>
<p>Klaus opens his eyes, the motion accompanied by a distinct lack of the sensation of movement and stares at his body in the uncomfortable metal chair. He’ll probably wake with a crick in his neck if he’s still breathing. Not that it really matters he supposes.</p>
<p>How long without oxygen? 11 minutes, that’s what Joe, the med student who made a good quesadilla, said.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Ben says his name thick with horror staring at him and reaching out to touch him as he asks, “Are – are you dead?”</p>
<p>He glances down at his hands, they’re almost translucent and are glowing a pale blue, as is the rest of his body. Is he dead? Is that what this is? Klaus stares at his body and then back at Ben before he replies, “Uh maybe?”</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben says one hand still hovering between them demanding an explanation of some kind.</p>
<p>“I was there, in the… the <em>other</em>. And I just drifted?” Klaus replies trying to fit it into words, he’s never been good at that; describing his powers.</p>
<p>Ben glances from Klaus to his body his expression pinched before he finally says, “We'll try going back.”</p>
<p>It’s not really a request.</p>
<p>Klaus takes a step forward to stand beside his body, it should feel stranger to be staring at his own body. Mostly, it just feels like the few bad trips he had.</p>
<p>Reaching out, Klaus touches his shoulder.</p>
<p>The sensation is like ice sliding down his spine and he opens his eyes sucking in air with a ragged gasp, suddenly in his own body once more. A headache pounds heavily behind his eyes and his skin doesn’t feel quite right, tight, almost constricting.</p>
<p>Ben is staring at him, his expression open and raw with relief.</p>
<p>They both say nothing for a minute as Klaus tries to get air into his body and valiantly ignores the headache brewing behind his skull. That cup of water would be nice right about now.</p>
<p>Finally, Ben says, “What was that?”</p>
<p>Klaus, well aware of the camera in the corner of the room, shrugs disguising the motion as a roll of his shoulders. Ben scowls glaring at the one-way glass before he tries again, “Did you know you could do that?”</p>
<p>One tap, no.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Ben asks studying Klaus carefully, no doubt a hundred questions all coiled up in his ghosty form.</p>
<p>Klaus taps twice, thinking dully in the back of his mind that dad always said he had untapped potential. What was that? His soul leaving his body in the form of a ghost? Him dying and being able to come back to life?</p>
<p>Ben must know what he is thinking because he shakes his head and says, “Klaus don’t. You don’t know what could happen, you could die.”</p>
<p>Maybe if he stayed dead long enough, they would dump his body and forget about him. Knowing his luck, he’d wake up and then that would bring a whole different type of experiment.</p>
<p>Klaus shakes his head humming a snatch of a song that hasn’t been invented yet.</p>
<p>He wants to try again.</p>
<p>Klaus closes his eyes submerging himself once more in the ether, in the <em>other</em>. This time, he focuses on drifting, on stepping away.</p>
<p>When he opens his eyes, he sees his body collapsed once more into the chair and Ben staring at him in mute horror which quickly turns to anger. Ben steps forward slamming Klaus against the plain white walls and says, “Klaus! You could be dying right now. If you die…”</p>
<p>Ben won’t be able to speak to their siblings if he dies. He had been so hopeful, about seeing Allison, hugging her for the first time in years, seeing her face light up. If Klaus dies that will never happen.</p>
<p>“I’d probably just come back,” Klaus responds pushing Ben away and marvelling at how it works; without him using his powers.</p>
<p>“And if you didn’t?” Ben replies, the words barely above a whisper as if he’s afraid to speak them.</p>
<p>Klaus has never been afraid of death; he danced the samba with it for far too long for that. But he’s still seen the effect it has on people, on families.</p>
<p>“I’ll be careful,” Klaus replies, continuing, “No more than 11 minutes.”</p>
<p>Ben looks like he wants to protest but he knows Klaus too well for that by now and instead, forces himself to step back and with a roll of his eyes he comments, “7 minutes left. What are you even going to do?”</p>
<p>“Maria, I should let her know,” Klaus replies slowly. Sasha probably told her, but at this rate…</p>
<p>Ben just nods and says, “I’ll look after your body.”</p>
<p>Why is Klaus’ life so weird?</p>
<p>Klaus thinks of <em>La Mesa</em>, the worn tables with little nicks and scratches, the old but sturdy chairs, the little golden lights, the tile of the kitchen. He blinks and suddenly he’s there, in the midst of <em>La Mesa</em>.</p>
<p>Anita is rushing by carrying two plates in her arm and Klaus can see Maria by the doorway talking to Sasha and someone else with a grim face. Shaking his head, Klaus glances briefly at the clock on the wall before taking a step forward.</p>
<p>“Maria,” Klaus says her name carefully, standing in front of her.</p>
<p>She continues to speak to Sasha and – Klaus turns and realises its Allison. Her hair is shorter, and the blond is gone, she’s wearing a scarf and in her hand is a notebook with words scrawled across it. Sasha stands close to her glancing around the restaurant with a heavy expression.</p>
<p>Klaus tries to rest his hand on Maria’s shoulder, it goes right through it and the only sign that she notices is the shiver she gives. Klaus shakes his head letting free a few curse words before he tries again louder, “Maria! Sasha! Allison!”</p>
<p>The three women continue to speak unaware of his presence.</p>
<p>Klaus’ shoulders sag for a moment before he frowns and concentrates, tries to think of how he feels when he materializes a ghost. He reaches out and settles a hand on Maria’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Still nothing.</p>
<p>Fuck!</p>
<p>Klaus glances at the clock. 1 minute left.</p>
<p>Studying the three of them for a few seconds he can’t spare, Klaus sighs and turns. He thinks of Ben, the squat grey building, the too-bright interrogation room. When he blinks, he is there, Ben studying his body with narrow eyes.</p>
<p>Ben glances up at Klaus with a raised brow, the posture of his shoulder slipping slightly as he asks, “Anything?”</p>
<p>“I couldn’t – they couldn’t hear me,” Klaus replies coming to stand behind his body.</p>
<p>His fingers hover over his own shoulder as Ben nods and says quietly, “Come on Klaus.”</p>
<p>He touches his shoulder, the feeling of ice magnified ten-fold. It’s as if each of his limbs have been left in a freezer and his head is attempting to wake half the city with the way it's ringing.</p>
<p>Klaus welcomes the sweet embrace of darkness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The door to the interrogation room slams open with a <em>bang</em>, jolting Klaus out of sweet unconsciousness and into the waking world with a groan. All his limbs have fallen asleep, the sticky sensation of pins and needles swarming over his body, and his head hasn’t forgiven him yet if the pounding is any indication.</p>
<p>Agent Wells practically saunters in taking obvious satisfaction in Klaus’ miserable state as he stands in front of the rickety table and asks, “Have a pleasant sleep, Klaus?”</p>
<p>“Oh, it was wonderful, these chairs are <em>very</em> comfortable,” Klaus replies gayly with a chipper smile. He is more than used to feeling like shit and powering through it with a smile and a flourish.</p>
<p><em>That</em> sours Wells’ expression somewhat and Klaus takes what little pleasure he can muster in that.</p>
<p>Wells rolls his eyes leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest as he demands with a polished smile, “So, have you made a decision, Klaus?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know Agent Wells have you come up with a better offer?” Klaus replies leaning back in the uncomfortable metal chair with forced casualness as if he’s lounging on a throne.</p>
<p>Wells makes a considering expression, flicking through his folder for a moment, just to make Klaus suffer probably before he continues, “I’ve consulted my superiors and if the information you provide us is correct, we’re willing to let you go. You would be helping your country, Klaus.”</p>
<p>As if he’s ever felt a scrap of patriotism for America.</p>
<p>Either way, Klaus isn’t getting out of this.</p>
<p>Klaus takes a long few minutes pretending to consider the option. Ben watches him over Agent Wells’ shoulder with a roll of his eyes and his arms crossed over his chest. Finally, Klaus exhales and says, “Fine, I’ll try to help. Though I don’t know how much help I’ll be, even dead people lie.”</p>
<p>Wells blinks either at the information or in surprise at his answer before a wide smile settles over his features and he says, “Perfect. America will thank you for your aid Klaus,” after that lacklustre performance, Agent Wells picks a few sheets from the folder and spreads them on the sheet in front of Klaus.</p>
<p>“Potential and confirmed Russian spies, we’d like for you to speak to them,” Wells explains as Klaus picks up one of the sheets at random, Sergey Zhuk, a young man with a pale face and dark hair, was twenty-three at time of death.</p>
<p>“Do you have any of their things?” Klaus questions picking up another sheet, this time an older man with a rather elegant moustache and a craggy face, Boris Abramov, forty-three at time of death.</p>
<p>Wells blinks and asks, “Pardon?”</p>
<p>“It’s easier to summon them if I have a tangible connection,” Klaus responds discarding the sheet for another, a woman with blond hair and blue eyes, she could probably be on a magazine, one Vera Belyaeva, twenty-nine at time of death.</p>
<p>Agent Wells shakes his head and says, “No, none of their things. Will this be enough?”</p>
<p>It’s almost a challenge.</p>
<p>“I’ll try,” Klaus responds with a shrug before asking, “Who would you like me to speak to first?”</p>
<p>Agent Wells can’t quite hide the flash of victory in his eyes as he slides forward a sheet from the bottom, one Anton Grebenshchikov, blond hair, a charming smile, late middle-age.</p>
<p>“A confirmed spy, killed himself before we could get to him,” Wells elaborates before leaning back, an expectant expression on his face. It reminds Klaus of Reginald and for a moment he’s tempted to do something rebellious.</p>
<p>Ben’s warning glare is enough to silence the urge for the moment. Instead, he lets his eyes slide shut and sinks into the<em> other</em>, he holds Anton in his mind, the image of him until the spirit is there in front of him.</p>
<p>Klaus doesn’t bother to materialize him and tries not to stare at the bullet wound under his throat and out the back of his head. Anton glares at Klaus and in what is probably Russian but automatically translates demands, “What do you want?”</p>
<p>He says nothing but tips his head at Wells and asks, “What do you want to know?"</p>
<p>“I heard you could materialize spirits,” Wells says curiously as if its an innocent inquiry.</p>
<p>Klaus takes notice that he didn’t mention anything about eyewitnesses and aptly responds, “I can see him, but everyone else? Not so much. Besides you wouldn’t want to see him, his brains are sort of scrambled.”</p>
<p>Agent Wells smiles at the information Klaus gives and asks, “Who sent him?”</p>
<p>“Who sent you?” Klaus parrots politely.</p>
<p>Anton studies Klaus with narrow eyes before saying, “Why would I answer you?”</p>
<p>“Well I’d appreciate it if you would. You are dead so…” Klaus trails off with a shrug.</p>
<p>Anton scowls at the reminder his shoulders bunching up before they slump abruptly and he glances at Wells, “He is an American,” Klaus nods, “And he is using you to get answers from the dead?” again Klaus nods, “You are trapped here.”</p>
<p>“What’s he saying?” Agent Wells demands staring at Klaus as if he’s an insect under a microscope.</p>
<p>“He’s still coming to terms with the fact he’s dead. I can’t control spirits, only summon them,” Klaus replies casually, his eyes flickering to Anton who is listening to the whole conversation with a closed-off expression.</p>
<p>“Well, ask him again,” Wells retorts quickly losing what patience he has, Klaus doubts he is a very patient man.</p>
<p>So, Klaus does.</p>
<p>Anton raises a brow before replying shortly, “Russia.”</p>
<p>Klaus repeats that, word for word, and earns a frown, “Now Klaus, this isn’t the time to be playing jokes.”</p>
<p>“That’s what he said,” Klaus defends innocently and catches a brief flash of Anton’s smile; he doesn’t seem half bad at least in comparison with Agent Wells.</p>
<p>“Fine. Ask him what his mission in America was please,” Agent Wells responds biting on the words and scrubbing a hand over his face.</p>
<p>Klaus rolls his eyes, “He can hear you. You can just ask the questions.”</p>
<p>Wells looks embarrassed for a moment at not having considered that before he nods. Klaus turns to Anton who cracks a grin, yellow stained teeth greeting him as he says, “To infiltrate the government of course.”</p>
<p>“He was sent to infiltrate the government.”</p>
<p>“Of course, he was, what was he looking for? What were his goals?” Agent Wells asks with a roll of his eyes studying Klaus as if he wishes to crush him underneath his feet.</p>
<p>Klaus raises a brow at Anton who cracks another grin leaning against the wall as he replies, “To learn about their nuclear development of course.”</p>
<p>“Nuclear information,” Klaus replies succinctly.</p>
<p>Agent Wells nods jotting something down in his folder before he glances up at Klaus and asks, “Did he successfully pass whatever information he found to the Russian government?”</p>
<p>Klaus glances to Anton who nods once with a pleased grin. Without Klaus, they would never know in the first place, Klaus shakes his head and replies, “No.”</p>
<p>“You can dismiss him,” Agent Wells responds jotting something else down.</p>
<p>He makes Klaus summon three of the other deceased, one of which wasn’t a spy just a guy who got in the middle of it, the other a charmer who doesn’t say a word that is true, and the last a man who spills truths as if it might save him from Hell.</p>
<p>Agent Wells checks his notes after the last spirit fades back into the ether before he glances up at Klaus, “That will be all for today, I need to speak to my supervisors then we can discuss terms.”</p>
<p>“Terms like me getting to go home?” Klaus demands carefully studying Agent Wells carefully.</p>
<p>Wells shakes his head with another one of his greased smiles and responds, “Oh Klaus we’re not letting you go, not for a long time. Not when you provide such valuable information. You’re helping your country. Besides, one of the guards noticed something rather interesting last night.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods and replies, “Couldn’t say I expected anything less,” he leans forward and wraps his hand around Agent Wells wrist as he adds, “Did you know I can tell when people are going to die?”</p>
<p>Wells shakes his head, “Surely you can’t-,”</p>
<p>Klaus smiles, it is not a nice smile, “Oh things are always changing, just because I say one thing doesn’t mean it’ll happen exactly like that. Do you want to know how you’ll die Agent Wells?”</p>
<p>He pales and shakes his head, no man wants to contemplate their own mortality, especially so young.</p>
<p>Klaus smiles and focuses until he can see a faint grey aura surrounding Wells he says in surprise, “Oh looks like you still have a while yet,” he reaches out with his hand and catches the edge of the grey, folding it over his fingers like a cloth until he sees Wells, early sixties in an armchair grasping at his chest, “I would watch your diet, maybe it runs in your family, heart attacks that is.”</p>
<p>Wells is pale and stumbles back wrenching his wrist out of Klaus grasp. Klaus just smiles pleasantly and leans back in his chair watching as Wells stumbles out of the room his watery blue eyes watching Klaus the whole time until the door clicks shut.</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben says half chiding even though he’s smiling.</p>
<p>He grins before the expression slips away. Helping them won’t do anything, will just lead to Klaus being experimented upon or locked away. He can’t stay. Even if it means leaving his friends behind, it’ll be safer this way. Tonight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Around three am Klaus shifts rolling his neck until it <em>cracks</em>, loud and startling as he rises to his feel lazily rolling out his body. Ben watches him with a raised brow before asking, “Are you done?”</p>
<p>“Patience Ben, I always tell you,” Klaus replies with a grin rolling out his shoulders.</p>
<p>“No, I always tell <em>you</em> patience,” Ben says, rolling his eyes and glancing at the door which remains shut, “Come on, you only have a few minutes.”</p>
<p>“You have a card?” Klaus asks stretching out his hand with a pleading expression.</p>
<p>Ben, who Klaus had materialized enough to be able to touch things but not to be seen (Eve, Harini, and Klaus had a lot of fun pranking their landlord with that trick), digs the card out of his pocket and drops it into Klaus’ outstretched hand as he says, “You know they’re not going to let you just walk out of here.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods his expression grim before he forces some cheer on it as he walks towards the door, “That’s exactly what I’m doing though,” Ben raises a brow and Klaus continues with a flippant wave of his hand, “Of course I know that Benny-boy, but I’ve gone to ground before and I can do it again.”</p>
<p>He’s good at that, disappearing, being hard to find. It’s easy to do when there’s nothing left behind and nothing to bring.</p>
<p>It isn’t quite the same this time.</p>
<p>The door slides open silently, Klaus’ hands glowing a faint blue as he steps out into the hallway. It’s empty, quiet, but for the faint hum of the lights above which wash everything out until its dull and harsh.</p>
<p>Klaus pads silently through the hallway Ben directing him through the doors he had come through the first time. The card taps against the door with a little beep before the lock disengages and Klaus pushes through, the door opening all on its own.</p>
<p>He glances briefly up at the cameras, which have all been disabled but for the one near the exit, he flashes that one, in particular, a wide smile and a wave of his fingers before the door to the building swings open and he steps outside.</p>
<p>Klaus sucks in a breath of fresh air, the night air cool against his skin as he starts walking casually down the street as if he knows where he’s going; nothing to see here. He’s trying not get excited yet, just keep walking he tells himself.</p>
<p>There’s a bus stop roughly ten minutes from the building, Klaus walks quietly through the industrial district which is mostly abandoned but for the occasional car which trundles through.</p>
<p>He passes a convenience store when his stomach abruptly reminds him that he hasn’t eaten in a day or two. Klaus pauses staring up at the faded yellow sign as Ben stands beside him and says, “Klaus.”</p>
<p>The door creaks open, the lock turning silently, he steps inside, the faint glow of the freezers and the light on the coffee machine providing a dim glow. Klaus grabs a bag of chips, one of those prepared sandwiches, and a bottle of water.</p>
<p>He rummages inside his jeans pulling out a five, probably too much, he doesn’t understand inflation and sets it on the counter. The door clicks shut behind him, the lock engaging once more as Klaus continues down the street, draining the bottle of water and finishing the sandwich in record-breaking time.</p>
<p>“Where are we going, Klaus?” Ben demands walking beside him, his hands shoved into the hoodie of his sweater.</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs, “Don’t know. Is California nice this time of year? Decade?”</p>
<p>Ben rolls his eyes before pausing slightly, hesitantly he says, “Allison’s here, we all appeared in Dallas. The others probably will too.”</p>
<p>“I know Ben,” Klaus replies pausing as they come upon the bus stop. A single streetlamp illuminates the post and the bench which Klaus settles on with a hiss; it’s cold. Scrubbing a hand over his face Klaus sighs and continues, “But we can’t stay here. If we get out of state, lay low for a bit…”</p>
<p>“Then what return and hope they don’t notice you’re back?” Ben responds sitting beside Klaus on the bench.</p>
<p>“I guess?” Klaus replies with a long exhale, he doesn’t want to leave. He wants to stay at <em>La Mesa</em>, wants to go shopping with Harini and Eve, spend evenings curled up on Maria’s couch knitting, go out for brunch with Sasha at some little unknown place, even the occasional drink with Nick. And Allison.</p>
<p>They were just about to reunite, he could have hugged Allison, talked to her about it, about everything, without the threat of the Apocalypse. And if the others come? Klaus won’t get to be there to see them. He had idle thoughts about greeting them, introducing them to Maria, to Sasha and Jeremiah, sitting them down at <em>La Mesa</em>.</p>
<p>They’re not very realistic thoughts if he’s being honest, which he doesn’t often strive to be.</p>
<p>“I’ll… I’ll call Maria when we’re in another state,” Klaus replies peering at the road where he can see bright lights in the distance, “Inform her of what’s going on. She can tell Allison. I can – I can check in on them from time to time.”</p>
<p>“What are you going to do in the meantime, backyard seances? Tell people about when they’re going to die?” Ben asks sarcastically, leaning against Klaus’ shoulder. He focuses just enough that he can feel Ben there.</p>
<p>“I need to make money somehow,” Klaus replies half-jokingly before he continues, “I’ll lie low, find some other diner, or some other job.”</p>
<p>God, he feels drained just thinking about it, there’s a sick kind of dread swelling up in his chest.</p>
<p>Klaus has always loved change; in fact, he revels in it. The same thing constantly gets boring, so he never stayed in one place, never really stuck to one style or one look (but he always looked good even when he looked bad). But he doesn’t want this to change, doesn’t want to try and plant new roots in some new town, to try and find new friends. He’s never been good at making them before.</p>
<p>The bus pulls up with a screech startling Klaus out of his thoughts as he rises shakily to his feet, his stomach uncomfortably leaden with the food he just ate as he climbs the steps. The driver doesn’t glance at him twice as he drops change in the collector and finds a seat in the back, Ben sits beside him.</p>
<p>With a lurch, the bus pulls back onto the road continuing at a steady pace as the world rolls by the windows outside.</p>
<p>He’ll survive, he’s good at that. Dave would want him to.</p>
<p>Sometimes that thought is enough.</p>
<p>Sometimes it isn’t.</p>
<p>The bus pulls onto a highway at one point, Klaus presses his face to the cool glass watching the scenery pass. He hums snatches of lyrics and only mildly hisses at Ben when he sinks his cold hand into Klaus’ chest to keep him awake.</p>
<p>Sometime after dawn, the bus rolls to a stop at some kind of terminal.</p>
<p>Klaus stumbles off the bus his legs unsure as he gazes around in the grey morning at the buses parked like slumbering beasts, and then onto the terminal. He slips inside where a few tired people watch signs carefully detailing the buses arrival times and then their destinations. He stares at the sign for a long moment trying to pick one before he notices the payphone in one corner.</p>
<p>Stumbling towards it, Klaus digs out the last of his change and from memory dials <em>La Mesa’s</em> number. The phone rings for a long moment and Klaus’ heart clenches in his chest until the line connects and a bleary but familiar voice responds, “Hello.”</p>
<p>“Maria,” Klaus breathes trying not to cry.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Her voice is suddenly sharp and he makes a sound of affirmation, “Where are you right now?”</p>
<p>“I’m uh somewhere,” he doesn’t really know, “I – uh I have to stay low for a while, the FBI they wanted me to do my thing and they weren’t that keen on letting me go. I – I'll try to come back eventually.”</p>
<p>Maria makes a muffled sound and replies, “Klaus, chico is there anything we can do?”</p>
<p>“Not unless you can make them forget about me,” Klaus jokes with a shake of his head before he continues, “I’ll – I’ll call when I find a place to lay low for a while. If they uh – if they come to you guys, deny everything.”</p>
<p>There’s a pause and Klaus can tell Maria wants to say a million and one things but she settles for, “Stay safe Klaus.”</p>
<p>“I’ll try,” Klaus responds and the line goes dead.</p>
<p>He takes a moment in the corner to compose himself, Ben leaning against the payphone and watching him with a sad expression, he doesn’t say anything which Klaus appreciates.</p>
<p>Inhaling roughly, Klaus turns and glances up at the destination board, New Orleans sounds nice right about now huh?</p>
<p>Somehow, he can’t find a single spark of excitement as he boards the bus with a few other passengers wrapped in their own dreary morning. He settles at the back and presses his cheek to the glass, Ben squished beside him as he lets his eyes slide shut trying to hide the tears.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't worry it will get better eventually. Comments are always super appreciated, till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey y'all I'm here with another chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter! This one is a bit happier than the last one, for the most part. Read on and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus finds a motel off the beaten path, a ghost with a smile missing a few teeth pointed it out to him and it seems as good a place as any to spend the afternoon and night. Even though he practically slept for the past two days he’s somehow still exhausted. The man at the counter doesn’t glance twice at Klaus, just accepts the cash and hands him a key.</p>
<p>Ben hovers at his side as he creeps up the rusting metal stairs and finds a door with the number 42 embossed on a little metal plate. The door swings open after a particularly hard shove of Klaus’ shoulder and he steps inside.</p>
<p>The lights flicker when he flicks the switch, before settling on a watery yellow illuminating the bed with its blue covers, the little lamp in the corner, the chair, all the usual motel accompaniments. There’s a closet in one corner and Klaus eyes it for a long moment, focusing only on his breathing until his chest doesn’t feel quite so tight.</p>
<p>Ben settles an ice-cold hand on his shoulder and it shocks Klaus to attention. He doesn’t have a bag to drop or really any belongings but what he has in his pocket. Instead, he shucks off his shirt and jeans and trips into the bathroom.</p>
<p>The tap squeals when he turns it and the water that drizzles from the showerhead is a dark brown almost black before it finally runs clear. Klaus has showered in worse. As he steps into the shower he thinks longingly of the bathtub at the Academy.</p>
<p>The water is hot, easing some of his still tight muscles and banishing the lingering chill that his powers always seem to bring. He uses the cheap provided shampoo and conditioner before stepping out of the shower and towelling off.</p>
<p>Ben is waiting in the room, leaning in the armchair and staring through the curtain and out the window. Do ghosts get tired? It must be hard never being able to sleep, always watching.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Ben questions, his voice gentle where he stares at Klaus now.</p>
<p>How long has he been standing there?</p>
<p>By the shivers wracking his body, too long. Klaus shakes his hand waving his hand in a blasé motion as he shrugs back into his clothes before turning to Ben, “I’m hungry. Waffles?”</p>
<p>Ben raises a brow not forgetting before he shakes his head, “Sure.”</p>
<p>“We’ll see if we can find a payphone, call Maria, let her know we landed,” Klaus continues more than happy to think aloud to Ben, who, rolls his eyes but nods. Klaus digs carefully through his pockets studying the money he has left.</p>
<p>It should be enough for a meal and the change for a phone call but that’s about it. After that, he’ll need to find some money.</p>
<p>Klaus has always been good at that when push came to shove at least.</p>
<p>Stuffing it back in his pocket, Klaus eyes the bed longingly for a minute, no matter what the duvet looks like, before he grabs the key and shuts the door behind him. The air is brisk but not cold enough that he’ll freeze as he leaves the motel parking lot and enters the city proper.</p>
<p>New Orleans, is much like any city with more than its fair share of historical buildings, little parkettes, and people bustling too and fro. It feels in some ways faster than Dallas, which seemed to bake in the sun rising slowly like bread in the oven. In New Orleans, the cars seem to fly past, and the people live at a faster pace.</p>
<p>Klaus ducks down a side street until he stumbles on a diner, it’s small, but cozy looking with shiny leather seats and vinyl flooring. A bell dings over the door as Klaus steps inside inhaling the familiar scent of a restaurant; a mix of smells, some like coffee more predominant than others.</p>
<p>The waitress’ eyes crinkle as she looks him over but she leads him to a booth with a pleasant enough smile and sets a menu down asking, “Coffee?”</p>
<p>“Please,” Klaus responds aching for something that isn’t from a gas station or a bus terminal.</p>
<p>His eyes flick over the menu as Ben plays with the little containers of milk and asks, “So, now what?”</p>
<p>Klaus rolls his eyes setting the menu down he responds, trying to make it look like he’s talking to himself which isn’t all that much better, “Call Maria. Find a job I guess, maybe washing dishes?”</p>
<p>He has a plan if he can’t find any work but he’s doing his best not to actually think about it in detail.</p>
<p>The waitress returns before Ben can reply and he rattles off his order before tugging the cup of coffee close to his chest. He inhales the rich aroma before taking a tentative sip. He slumps into the seat with a groan that earns an eye-roll from Ben which he ignores indulging in the warm feeling spreading through his chest.</p>
<p>“Klaus, be serious,” Ben whines, okay he doesn’t actually whine, one brow raised and his lips pinched into a line.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to,” Klaus replies petulantly smiling at the waitress as she sets a plate of waffles in front of him. They’re golden and the bottle of syrup seems suddenly like ambrosia as he drizzles some over the waffles.</p>
<p>Ben huffs watching as Klaus pushes the plate into the centre of the table and takes a bite making an indecent sound just because he knows it annoys Ben. He rolls his eyes crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back staring out the window.</p>
<p>Klaus eats in silence not necessarily in the mood to make conversation, though its one of his many talents. He can’t help but stare around the restaurant trying not to miss <em>La Mesa</em> and all its patrons. The waitress passes by taking his plate with another smile.</p>
<p>He drains the last of his coffee, his eyes doing one last sweep around the restaurant as the waitress returns with the bill. He tilts his head, plastering his most charming smile on and asks, “Know any places that are hiring? I’m new in town, just got in this morning.”</p>
<p>The waitress looks him over again, he remembers for a moment being fresh on the streets, going into a place it was like people could smell it on him, tell it from one look and it didn’t matter how old he was. A smile settles as Klaus places the bills on the table and she replies, “We don’t need anyone here, but Mary at the antiques across the street was looking for someone to help with some organizing I think.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Klaus replies with a smile before adding, “Any payphones around here? Have to call my mom, let her know I got in okay.”</p>
<p>The lie sits strangely at the back of his throat.</p>
<p>The waitress nods pointing through the window she says, “Right by the bank there.”</p>
<p>“Thank you so much you’re fantastic,” Klaus replies flirtatiously, earning a blush from the girl as she tucks the bill and the money away, leaving with a wink.</p>
<p>Ben raises a brow and asks, “Really?”</p>
<p>“A bit of harmless fun,” Klaus replies and it's true, that’s all it is. He rises to his feet and leaves the diner feeling better now that he has food in his body and has had a hot shower. He struts across the street and pauses by the payphone, flipping a few coins into the slot.</p>
<p>“Hello?” It’s Fred from the kitchens who answers.</p>
<p>“Hi can you put Maria on?” Klaus asks watching as a car trundles past and a couple walk hand in hand down the street.</p>
<p>“Oh, uh yeah sure one sec,” Fred responds leaving the line silent.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Maria questions her voice is comforting even distorted by the phone line.</p>
<p>“Yeah, hey Maria,” Klaus responds watching carefully as a man in a suit steps out of a car, he turns in the other direction and Klaus lets out a sigh. He wonders if he’s going to appear on the news soon as some sort of wanted criminal. Maybe they’ll keep it on the down-low, just come after him in the middle of the night and steal him from his bed.</p>
<p>Realistically, it would have been safer for him to go to a different country.</p>
<p>“Klaus, how are you?” Maria asks her voice soft and fond and Klaus can imagine her leaning against the counter watching over the restaurant with a gimlet eye.</p>
<p>“I – I found a place to lie low for a while,” Klaus responds quietly, still watching his surroundings.</p>
<p>Maria hums quietly, before she makes a sound and says distantly, “I’m talking to him come here,” she pauses and her voice comes back clearer, “Allison is here. She tells me to tell you she says hello.”</p>
<p>“Tell her Ben and I say hi please Maria,” Klaus responds forcing himself to swallow. He wants to turn around go back, wants to be in <em>La Mesa</em>, in front of her.</p>
<p>There’s the muffled sound of talking before Maria responds, “Klaus, Allison says she has a plan to – so that you can come back.”</p>
<p>“A plan?” Klaus questions glancing at the meter and with a scowl adding another few coins.</p>
<p>Maria hums assent and continues, “She wants to use her powers.”</p>
<p>“But she can’t speak!” Klaus protests glancing at his hands and thinking of the blood. Christ, when he saw her there on the floor, he had thought he was going to see her ghost in the next few seconds and then he would have been haunted by Ben and Allison.</p>
<p>She lived, they all did, he keeps reminding himself until he believes it.</p>
<p>“She says, or well, she’s found another way,” Maria responds carefully, in the background, Klaus hears the sound of cutlery crashing and voices shouting.</p>
<p>“When?”</p>
<p>Maria mumbles something in the background before she responds, “Tonight, Allison says at the usual time.”</p>
<p>So about twelve o clock, that was when they always snuck out. He for drugs and her for whatever she was interested in, clubbing, shopping, boyfriends.</p>
<p>“I – alright. I’ll call you tomorrow see how it…” Klaus trails off not yet able to contemplate that everything might resolve itself just like that. He’s also not certain how Allison would be able to use her powers without her voice.</p>
<p>Maria hums her voice warm, “Stay safe Klaus, we miss you.”</p>
<p>“I miss you all too,” Klaus admits ignoring the part of him that likes to keep important feelings shut away.</p>
<p>The line ends and Klaus steps back a few feet to lean against the wall, Ben standing beside him with a raised brow. Klaus digs through his pocket and pulls out his pack and a lighter.</p>
<p>“I thought you were trying to quit?” Ben asks leaning companionably against the wall beside him.</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs sticking the cigarette in his mouth and inhaling. He exhales slowly before responding, “We might be able to go back.”</p>
<p>“How’re you going to get back without any money?” Ben responds logically.</p>
<p>Klaus frowns at him taking another puff of his cigarette before he squashes it beneath his foot and rises to his feet, “Come on, let’s go investigate the antique store. I’m sure there will be tons of ghosties about and maybe some money to be made.”</p>
<p>Ben follows beside him as he always does.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Klaus spends half the evening pacing even though he’s practically exhausted after helping Mary at the antiques store help reorganize anything; he made enough for the bus fare back and a little bit more. But he can’t stop the what-ifs and the nerves bounding about his body, so he paces, smoking the rest of his pack and resorting to the tv, which is alienating in its own way. As a plus side, his face isn’t plastered over the news outlets yet.</p>
<p>Ben watches from his perch near the window, calling his name every time he considers finding something to calm down with. It pauses Klaus at the door enough for him to inhale and turn pacing back and forth across the carpet; it’s almost like he’s detoxing again.</p>
<p>Somewhere close to midnight, Klaus forces himself to lay on the bed, it’s stiff and the covers are uncomfortable, but hey it’s a bed. Ben settles on the end of the bed like some sort of guardian angel watching Klaus with narrow eyes as he says, “You’re going to try it again.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods rolling over on one side and beating his pillow into submission before he replies, “I’m curious how Allison is going to do it. And I – I need to know if they succeed. I don’t want to stay here.”</p>
<p>It’s a nice enough town with nice enough people. But Klaus is done with picking up his stuff and leaving.</p>
<p>Ben’s expression is answer enough as he remains at the end of the bed, watching Klaus from within the surrounding darkness. Klaus exhales glancing at the clock which in red numbers reads 12:10. Closing his eyes, Klaus steps into the <em>other</em>, lets it settle over him as if he’s submerged beneath the waves. He lets himself drift.</p>
<p>When he opens his eyes, he is staring down at his body. In sleep, he somehow looks younger or maybe that’s just what because that’s what people always say, do people really look younger in their sleep?</p>
<p>Ben is studying him with narrow eyes before he glances at the clock and says, “Go on. Be careful Klaus.”</p>
<p>“I’m always careful,” Klaus lies with a smile.</p>
<p>Before Ben can reply, Klaus thinks of Allison, thinks of that brief glimpse of her, the way her eyes widened and recognition filtered in on a wave of affection. When he blinks, he is in the office building once more.</p>
<p>He recognises the washed-out lights, the bland walls. However, the building is no longer empty, instead, it swells with people running to and fro even so late at night. He spots Allison as she walks confidently through the hallway, she’s wearing a pressed blouse and her hair seems to fly out behind her.</p>
<p>Eve walks beside her, pretending at being confident and staring straight ahead. Those they pass stare for the most part at Allison, wide eyes or disbelieving expressions, though Eve also receives the occasional glance.</p>
<p>Allison makes it most of the way into the building before she is stopped by one of the identical men in suits who says, “Excuse me, ma’am, I’m going to need to see some ID.”</p>
<p>His sister smiles, it is a smile he recognises well from when they went on missions, she raises her hands and shapes them into strange but almost familiar patterns. Klaus hovering in front of her can see Allison mouthing the words, he feels the moment reality shifts slightly sideways, a little tremor.</p>
<p>The man straightens as if an automaton activated, and replies, “Right this way ma’am.”</p>
<p>Klaus catches a glimpse of the man’s watch and exhales following along as Eve muffles a smile into the back of her hand and Allison glances down pride shining in her eyes. They are led through a series of familiar doors, which the agent taps his card against until they are led into a large room.</p>
<p>Inside the room, a large conference table sits dominating the room with many chairs scattered about. Klaus can see Agent Wells standing beside the coffee machine, one hand clenched into a fist staring into the distance. There are a few other men, all in suits, though some of greater seniority then the rest, scattered throughout the room.</p>
<p>The men all pause upon noticing their entrance, one of the older men asks, “Agent Smith what are these women doing here?”</p>
<p>It is said with a casual sort of derogatory tone as he eyes the women. Agent Smith straightens, pausing for one moment confused before he responds, “They were to be brought here, sir.”</p>
<p>Allison steps forward and raises her hands in front of them, the very air seems to wave as once more she shapes her hands. Klaus thinks he recognises a few of the words she might be spelling, though he hasn’t had much experience with sign language.</p>
<p>The room goes very still and Eve beside Allison grins and asks, “Do you know where Klaus Hargreeves is?”</p>
<p>The men, with glazed eyes, glance at each other before Agent Wells speaks, “Not yet. We know he caught the 142B bus and ended up at the nearest bus terminal before leaving on another bus. We’re assuming he’s left the state.”</p>
<p>Klaus’ hands clench into fists at his side and he glances at the clock. Two minutes.</p>
<p>Allison nods and Eve continues, “What information do you have on Klaus Hargreeves?”</p>
<p>Again, Wells speaks, “Able to communicate with the dead. Suspected telekinesis or materialization of the dead.”</p>
<p>Allison nods holding up a hand to Eve who smiles stepping back slightly before saying so quietly that only Klaus is able to hear, “I sure hope this works.”</p>
<p>Once more, reality bends around Allison’s hands, the very nature of reality shifting. Klaus watches as she finishes and the paperwork on the table suddenly scrawls itself blank, the board with his picture now only has blank sheets of paper. All of the men’s tense postures shifts suddenly to something lax and they stare on in a haze of distant confusion.</p>
<p>Allison and Eve turn and leave the room.</p>
<p>Klaus glances at the clock once more and with a last glance at the blank room, thinks instead of his own motel room, of Ben perched at the end of the bed. When he opens his eyes, Ben is there staring at the clock and then at Klaus with an impatient expression.</p>
<p>He touches his body.</p>
<p>And exhales roughly as his brain kicks back online with a headache, his limbs are ice cold down to his toes and he can’t quite get enough air into his lungs. Klaus shivers drawing his legs up to his chest and tucking his head into his knees until he can breathe once more.</p>
<p>Ben’s hand, ice-cold, smoothes down his spine in some ways comforting even as Klaus shakes his head and continues, “I have to go back.”</p>
<p>“Klaus, take a break,” Ben says more an order than a suggestion really.</p>
<p>“I won’t stay long, I just – I need to make sure they’re safe,” Klaus continues sucking in one last lungful of air before he closes his eyes and forces himself into the <em>other</em>. It is cold, so cold, but Klaus ignores it throwing himself out of his body with what feels like a tearing sensation.</p>
<p>Ben stares at him his eyes wide and his lips pressed together.</p>
<p>Klaus doesn’t give him time for a dressing down, just thinks of Allison and closes his eyes.</p>
<p>When he opens them, he’s greeted by the sight of Allison and Eve stepping out of the squat grey building, down the street he can see Harini waiting in a car, Nick’s if Klaus recognises the license plate right.</p>
<p>Eve is grinning her arm looped through with Allison’s, practically bouncing on her feet as she says, “I can’t believe that worked, you’re amazing!”</p>
<p>Allison glances down a flash of embarrassment playing across her features before she sighs and pulls out a pad of paper and a pen writing, “I only hope Klaus will come back.”</p>
<p>Eve nods tucking her jacket closer to her body she asks, “Will it last?”</p>
<p>She nods tucking her hands into her pocket for a moment before she writes, “Yes, but if they ever discover Klaus again, it might undo everything.”</p>
<p>“You included something to prevent that right?” Eve asks as they step off the sidewalk and walk towards the car where Harini watches them with warm eyes.  </p>
<p>Allison nods pausing slightly to scrawl, “I tried.”</p>
<p>Before Eve can ask any more questions, they slip into the car, Eve in shotgun and Allison in the back.</p>
<p>Klaus waits, watching until the car has driven off before he closes his eyes and thinks of Ben.</p>
<p>When he opens his eyes the motel room slams into focus and he exhales, even though the motion is unnecessary and stumbles forward gently touching his own forehead. With a sick sucking motion, Klaus is suddenly within his own body.</p>
<p>He has a moment of clarity before the pain hits and he rushes towards the washroom emptying what was in his stomach.</p>
<p>“Gross,” Ben comments from the doorway.</p>
<p>Klaus flips him the bird and leans back on the cool tile sucking in ragged breaths and resisting the urge to faint as he rasps, “They did it,” he breathes in for a few more moments before he continues, “She – Allison erased my existence? Or something like that.”</p>
<p>“Christ Klaus go to sleep we can discuss it in the morning,” Ben says with a shake of his head studying Klaus with obvious concern.</p>
<p>Klaus shakes his head patting the toilet fondly as he rises on shaky legs, god it’s like a hit that’s been laced, to his feet and peers in the mirror. He looks like shit, his eyes are bloodshot, his skin pale, the blood blossoming in his cheeks and the tip of his nose.</p>
<p>“I’m going to try and catch a bus,” Klaus says leaning heavily on the sink before he turns the tap, it squeals but clear water washes out, he splashes his face.</p>
<p>“Klaus! You’re in no condition to travel,” Ben lectures looking as if he wants to reach out and suddenly it’s like he’s in some shitty apartment about to take a hit.</p>
<p>He stumbles out of the washroom tucking what little he’s left scattered around into his pockets and finds the key before he turns to Ben and says quietly, “I just want to go home. I’ll sleep on the bus.”</p>
<p>Ben opens his mouth still standing in the washroom before he nods and follows Klaus out the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He pauses just at the end of the building, far enough from the doors that he can hear the hum of chatter, the sound of laughter, cutlery clinking, it sounds like home. It’s late, almost evening and Klaus’ stomach is empty and he’s sure he looks like shit but he can’t find the energy to care.</p>
<p>It’s been roughly two days since he left New Orleans, he called Maria at one point.</p>
<p>Klaus can’t help but wonder if they’re all there, maybe its just Maria; he wouldn’t mind either way. He finishes the last of his cigarette stubbing it out beneath his feet as Ben huffs beside him staring at <em>La Mesa</em> with the same sort of longing in his eyes.</p>
<p>He’s always reminded of how unfair the world is when he looks at Ben.</p>
<p>Rolling his shoulders, Klaus walks forward and pushes the door to <em>La Mesa</em> open. It doesn’t quiet instantly, a few of the customers notice his entrance and wave or raise eyebrows. Klaus’ eyes search the restaurant until they land on Maria talking to Allison and Sasha near the back of the restaurant.</p>
<p>Closing the door behind him, Klaus inhales the familiar scent of Mexican cuisine as he makes his way through the restaurant nodding to Anita whose eyes go wide as she almost drops a plate before catching it.</p>
<p>Klaus muffles a laugh as Sasha turns slightly catching sight of him. She pauses, frozen for a long moment before she makes an abrupt noise and launches herself at Klaus. He catches her wrapping his arms around her and inhaling the faint citrusy smell that surrounds her as her hands tighten in the back of his shirt.</p>
<p>“You idiot, I was so worried,” She says quietly, pulling back so Klaus can see the tears on her cheeks.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Klaus apologizes glancing up and catching sight of Maria and Allison who’ve noticed his appearance.</p>
<p>Maria steps forward as Sasha steps aside and in folds him into a hug, he relaxes, the weight of the past week suddenly sluicing off as Maria says, “Welcome home Klaus.”</p>
<p>And he is. Home</p>
<p>Allison steps forward next, there are tears in her eyes and her mouth shifts as if to speak before she drags him into a hug. Klaus muffles a sob tightening his arms around her, she still hugs the same way, as if she won’t let go until you do, and her breathing is fast as she digs her fingers into his back; Klaus doesn’t even mind.</p>
<p>She pulls back slightly so she can see his face one hand wiping away a tear as he sniffs and says, “Hey, long time no see.”</p>
<p>Allison sniffs pulling back so she can pull out her paper and pen even as Sasha looks him up and down before commenting, “You look like a hobo.”</p>
<p>“And I feel like one,” Klaus responds letting Sasha push him into a chair while Maria disappears into the kitchen for a minute he continues, “Buses are not comfortable to sleep on.”</p>
<p>Allison settles beside him and slides over her paper which reads, “You’re okay?”</p>
<p>He shrugs, “As okay as I can be. I saw what you did, you’re amazing Allison.”</p>
<p>That earns a real smile before her brow crinkles and she scrawls, “New powers?”</p>
<p>Klaus laughs, the sound harsh and a little bitter, “Turns out dad was right. Tons of untapped potential. That reminds me,” Klaus turns to Ben who is staring at Allison, he glances to Klaus with an expression so open it hurts.</p>
<p>He concentrates, forcing himself to breathe past the aches of his body until Ben is visible, only a little bit see-through and barely glowing blue. Allison’s hand comes up to cover her mouth but not before Klaus sees her mouth Ben’s name.</p>
<p>She’s out of her chair a moment later dragging Ben into a hug, he murmurs her name soft as silk and wraps his arms around her. Klaus can see Allison sobbing, her face buried in Ben’s shoulder even as she holds onto him as if she’s never letting go.</p>
<p>Sasha’s hand laces over his as she says, “You going to be okay? They didn’t do anything?”</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine after copious amounts of sleep and some good food,” Klaus replies watching his siblings and feeling the warmth of it all chasing away the lingering chill, he continues, “Just the usual threatening. I’m fine, honestly just tired.”</p>
<p>Sasha doesn’t look like she believes him but Maria comes back setting a plate of quesadilla and a glass of water before him. Klaus grins in thanks reaching out for the utensils as Maria smiles and says, “Hello Ben, have you been watching over Klaus for us?”</p>
<p>Ben pulls back from Allison and with a pleased smile followed by a glare in Klaus’ direction responds, “I tried my best.”</p>
<p>“Of course, you did,” Sasha responds patting Ben on the shoulder as Allison settles beside Klaus, leaning her shoulder against his.</p>
<p>She pulls out her pad of paper and writes, “Have any of the others come?”</p>
<p>Klaus shakes his head, “Not yet.”</p>
<p>She nods her expression pinched with concern. Christ Vanya.</p>
<p>Klaus pushes his plate away suddenly finished and drains his water feeling a wave of exhaustion slam into him as if suddenly reminding him of the hellish week. Maria notices, she’s good at noticing things like that and says, “Sasha would you take Klaus home?” he opens his mouth to protest and she continues, “You can come and see everyone tomorrow, Allison you can bring your friends, and Eve and Harini will come as well. It’ll be like a party.”</p>
<p>Maria might not admit it but she loves a good party.</p>
<p>Klaus would protest longing to spend all night with Allison, but the exhaustion wins out. Ben with an understanding expression folds Allison into a final hug before dematerializing.</p>
<p>Sasha rolls her eyes but nods at Maria helping to tug Klaus to his feet.</p>
<p>He grins and salutes before saying, “Until later.”</p>
<p>Allison shakes her head with a smile, Maria watching him with fond eyes, and Ben shakes his head in amusement. Klaus presses it into his memory as he lets Sasha drag him home, her arm looped with his.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, they finally got to reunite. Also, for Allison please imagine her practicing for hours to get her to work even though I couldn't necessarily include it. Anyways, comments are always appreciated, till next time (be prepared for surprises I guess)!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, I'm here with another chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy, read on!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus sleeps most of the next day, passed out on the couch only blearily conscious of Maria leaving for work. Mostly, he slips in and out of consciousness, the faint noise of the clock ticking, the bustle of the street outside the window, and the comforting scent of Maria’s home.</p>
<p>Sometime in the late afternoon, there are a series of knocks on the door before it swings open.</p>
<p>Klaus shifts, blearily peering over the top of the couch to see Harini and Eve shuffling inside. Eve spots him first and lets out a high-pitched shriek flinging herself over the couch and tucking Klaus into a hug. All the air in his body leaves him with a painful sound even as he wraps his arms around Eve, he exhales roughly into the itchy fabric of her sweater.</p>
<p>Harini’s hand ruffles through his hair with a soft huff of laughter as she asks, “Have you eaten today?”</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs, pulling back slightly, he glances over Eve’s shoulder and catches sight of Ben, a soft smile on his face. Eve releases him from the hug and he drags a hand over his face and replies, “No?”</p>
<p>Harini frowns rolling her eyes as she steps into the kitchen accompanied by the sound of kitchen cabinet doors clattering open and shut. Eve shifts, leaning back on the couch, her curly hair pillowing about her head as she asks, “How long did you spend in the shower?”</p>
<p>“As long as Maria let me,” Klaus responds with a knowing smile as he rolls to his feet glancing briefly at his clothing, or mostly lack thereof and ducking quickly into the washroom and tugging a proper outfit on.</p>
<p>Eve whistles when he steps out of the washroom, which he appreciates, winking flirtatiously back at her.</p>
<p>From the kitchen, Harini yells, “Are you flirting with my girlfriend Hargreeves?”</p>
<p>“Give me a break I was practically a wanted criminal!” Klaus yells back flopping onto the couch and planting his head on Eve’s lap. She rolls her eyes tangling her fingers in his hair as Harini appears balancing mugs of tea and a plate of those cute triangle sandwiches that makes Klaus squeal.</p>
<p>“How was the whole wanted criminal thing?” Eve asks with the usual lack of tact or subtlety; Klaus appreciates it.</p>
<p>He rolls up reaching out for one of the tiny sandwiches taking a bite and chewing on it for a moment before he shrugs and says, “It sucked. Missed you guys.”</p>
<p>Eve goes bright red before she socks him on the arm, lightly, and says, “We missed you too, idiot.”</p>
<p>“Are you hearing the abuse I’m receiving?” Klaus jokes directing his words at Harini.</p>
<p>She just rolls her eyes unimpressed with their antics. Her face shifts slightly and her hand hovers lightly over his knee as she asks, “You are okay, Klaus?”</p>
<p>He takes another bite of the sandwich and nods, “Right as rain. Obviously changing the subject here, is Maria still planning on throwing a party?”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s more of a get-together,” Eve says before stealing a sandwich. Klaus pouts but doesn’t bother attempting to steal it back still enjoying his own sandwich.</p>
<p>Harini rolls her eyes again, she does that a lot around the two of them, and says, “We’re actually supposed to escort you there.”</p>
<p>“Oh, an escort, fun,” Klaus replies twirling his hands before dropping them and taking another sip of his tea.</p>
<p>“Your sister, Allison is going to be there too, I think she’s bringing a few of her friends as well,” Eve adds with a tentative smile switching spots so she can lean her head against Harini’s shoulder. Harini’s expression softens as she tangles her hand with Eve’s and Klaus averts his eyes determinedly munching on his sandwich and ignoring Ben’s pitying looks.</p>
<p>“Are you – it’s good you’ve reunited?” Harini says reaching out to ruffle Klaus’ hair with a raised brow.</p>
<p>He nods rubbing his hands over his arms, he’s always cold these days, before he replies, “Yeah, it is. I wasn’t sure if they would ever turn up.”</p>
<p>There’s silence for a few moments as Klaus polishes off the rest of the sandwiches and drains his tea before Eve shifts and says, “Come on, best not to keep Maria waiting. I’m glad you’re back, I’m not fit to be a waitress.”</p>
<p>Klaus raises a brow, Harini snorts as they all rise to their feet and says, “I think she’s broken at least five plates.”</p>
<p>“I was barely gone for more than a week,” Klaus replies with wide eyes, Eve just glances down, her face red as the tomatoes in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Harini chuckles fondly, tucking Eve into her side before she steps aside shoving a jacket at Klaus. He grins in thanks and tugs it on following the two women out of the apartment and onto the street.</p>
<p>The night before, it had been dark and the street lights have never been particularly bright on their street in the first place, but now, in the light of day, Klaus cannot stop himself from etching his surroundings into his mind. It’s amazing, he supposes, how dear things are after a being away.</p>
<p><em>La Mesa</em> looms suddenly up ahead and something in Klaus’ chest settles as they bustle inside. Sasha is sitting at a long table at the back, Jeremiah in a carrier beside her. Klaus’ eyes flick over the few customers, catches sight of Albert in the back, and Maria leaning against the counter talking into the phone.</p>
<p>She perks up at their appearance and directs them over to Sasha. Who, grins and waves them over.</p>
<p>“I see you made it,” Sasha comments with a grin.</p>
<p>“We made it,” Harini agrees with a laugh sliding into a seat and squishing Eve before she continues, “It took some wrangling but we’re here.”</p>
<p>“They are like cats aren’t they,” Sasha responds turning to Jeremiah for a moment.</p>
<p>“Were they insulting us?” Eve whispers to Klaus.</p>
<p>He peers at Harini, who’s trying not to laugh, and then at Sasha who only raises a brow before he replies, “I think it was a compliment.”</p>
<p>Sasha shakes her head saying fondly, “You’re both hopeless.”</p>
<p>“Hopeless romantics,” Eve chirps with a particularly sappy expression. Klaus grins toothily at Sasha who only rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>Maria pops up at their table then studying Klaus for a long moment before she says, “You look better, Klaus.”</p>
<p>“Less like shit,” Sasha agrees with a teasing grin.</p>
<p>“Hey, I was very attractive shit,” Klaus retorts.</p>
<p>Maria looks towards the ceiling as if searching for an answer, mumbling under her breath before she says, “Would you like anything to drink or eat?”</p>
<p>They pass along orders and Maria passes them on to Anita, who looks more than a little relieved Klaus is back and Eve will be staying far away from the cutlery for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>The door opens with a chime and Klaus catches sight of Allison at the head of the small group of people. Today, she’s outfitted in a yellow dress, it’s cut is half-familiar, and her face lights up when she catches sight of him directing her group of people towards them.</p>
<p>Klaus rises to his feet and tugs Allison into a hug, wrapping himself tightly around her, she does the same. It’s funny they don’t see each other for ten years, suddenly the world’s ending and they can’t get enough of each other.</p>
<p>Allison pulls back and glances to a woman with her hair in an elegant braid about her head she smiles extending her hand and says, “I’m Serena,” Klaus shakes it and Allison signs something, Serena watches and then continues, “I know sign language, my brother was deaf,” Allison signs, Serena translates, “I’ve been teaching Allison when we have time.”</p>
<p>“That’s fantastic,” Klaus says with wide eyes, idly wondering if there are books on sign language at the library,</p>
<p>Another man steps forward, he’s handsome and dressed in a nicely cut suit, he observes Klaus carefully with a smile before he says, “You must be Allison’s brother,” there’s a strange intonation to those words, “I’m Raymond, call me Ray.”</p>
<p>Klaus shakes his hand catching sight of Sasha studying both Ray and Allison before he replies, “A pleasure to meet you.”</p>
<p>More introductions commence Odessa, who owns the hair salon, and a few of the women who work there as well. Eventually, they all settle at the table and Sasha takes the moment to lean over and whisper, “They were all here, trying to help.”</p>
<p>Klaus shakes his head peering at the people around him he asks, “Really?”</p>
<p>Sasha nods and doesn’t say anything more on the subject as Maria and Anita reappear in a flurry of drinks and menu orders. Klaus takes the moment of chaos to slip outside the restaurant digging out his pack and lighter, Ben watching on with a roll of his eyes.</p>
<p>The door cracks open a moment later and Allison steps out, leaning against the wall beside him. She holds her hand out and Klaus passes her a cigarette lighting it for her with a teasing grin. They used to do this sometimes when they were kids, sneak out with a pack of cigarettes and try to breathe even for a little bit.</p>
<p>“Is it permanent?” Klaus questions softly, watching as a taxi slowly trundles past.</p>
<p>Allison shrugs sticking the cigarette in the corner of her mouth as she pulls out her paper and sticks a pen behind her ear. Klaus nods doesn’t make any stupid jokes because he’s not that insensitive. Instead, he says quietly, “I think I’d like to learn sign language.”</p>
<p>She beams, the expression practically lighting up the night sky as a wisp of smoke streams from her lips. Klaus takes a puff of his own cigarette and concentrates just enough for Ben to be visible standing across from him.</p>
<p>He smiles at Klaus, small and so thankful, and they both glance at Allison who writes, “I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to this.”</p>
<p>“You all knew I could see ghosts,” Klaus says wagging a finger because he’s told them he could see Ben countless times before.</p>
<p>Allison’s lips pinch, an old flicker of grief as she reaches out and settles her hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>Christ, they’re dysfunctional. At least they’re together.</p>
<p>Klaus leans his head on Allison’s shoulder and exhales long and slow before asking, “What are you going to do now?”</p>
<p>The sound of the pen scratching across the pad reaches him before she slides it across and he reads, “You haven’t tried to go back?”</p>
<p>He shakes his head, “Been waiting for you all.”</p>
<p>Allison nods a thoughtful expression on her face before she writes, “I think I’ll keep working at Odessa’s. It’s nice, not being anyone.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods and says, “I’ll be here. Doing seances, being a waiter.”</p>
<p>There’s silence for a moment as they finish the last of their cigarettes before Allison sighs and writes, “I don’t want to go back to not talking to each other.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods stubbing his cigarette beneath his heel he turns to Allison tucking her into a hug he says, “You’re my sister, no matter how fucked up our family is.”</p>
<p>Allison nods, hands fisted in the back of his coat, Ben even joins when they coax him into it. It’s nice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Months slip by into a normal routine, Klaus goes back to picking up shifts at the restaurant and hosts the occasional séance, he’ll eat lunch outside the hardware store once a week Ben watching him with sad eyes. But he also tries to pick up sign language, Ben is aptly amazing at it, Allison comes over for dinner, or lunch, sometimes even breakfast at least once a week. He hangs out with Eve and Harini, tries to see Sasha when he can, is even there when Jeremiah begins to speak, and attempts to finish his latest scarf with Maria’s help.</p>
<p>Of course, the peace doesn’t last.</p>
<p>After the first month back, without any sign of men in suits or the government poking its nose into other people’s business, Klaus’ shoulders had settled somewhat. The woman who walks into <em>La Mesa</em> on a weekday afternoon immediately sets him ill at ease.</p>
<p>She is elderly with a cloud of curly white hair, a lined face with blue veins for highlights. The woman is cloaked in a white blouse and pencil skirt, jewellery flashing an opulent gold from across the room. Her eyes survey <em>La Mesa</em> with barely hidden disgust.</p>
<p>Klaus steps forward squaring his shoulders not necessarily certain what the woman is here for. Perhaps scoping out the real estate, or looking for someone who’s run away from home, or simply lost.</p>
<p>“Good afternoon, welcome to <em>La Mesa</em> how can I help you?” Klaus says pasting a polite smile on his face. He can feel Maria and Anita carefully eyeing the woman in the doorway.</p>
<p>Her eyes flick up and down taking in his apron, his jeans and t-shirt before she says, in an accent that screams rich, “I’m looking for the séance?”</p>
<p>“Uh,” Klaus responds eloquently. They’ve had the occasional person pass through from a nearby neighbourhood or on a friend’s recommendation but generally, they try not to attract too much attention.</p>
<p>The woman’s eyes sharpen and she expands, “I’ve heard he goes by the name Klaus.”</p>
<p>“That’s me,” Klaus says carefully desperately wishing he could jump out of his skin at the moment; Ben would probably yell at him for it.</p>
<p>She looks him up and down again before she shuffles her shoulders and with a smile that is cold and, empty highlighted by her nude lipstick says, “Excellent. I’m Norma Warren, I’m interested in your services.”</p>
<p>Klaus forces a smile onto his face and says, “Do you mind if we speak about this in my office?”</p>
<p>Warren nods and Klaus nods once to Maria and leads the woman to the back room. He catches sight of her disgust once more as she gingerly settles at the table placing her pearl-laced clutch on top.</p>
<p>Klaus settles opposite her, Ben hovering over his shoulder studying the old room as he says, “I don’t like this Klaus.”</p>
<p>He nods imperceptibly and with another tight smile says, “Now what can I help you with Mrs. Warren?”</p>
<p>She nods her expression suddenly serious as she says, “My husband, Arnold, passed away tragically in a boating accident four months ago.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Klaus murmurs.</p>
<p>Warren nods, she sniffs wiping at her face with an embroidered handkerchief before she continues, “I loved him dearly, we had been together for twenty years. I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye and well I had heard of your – talents.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods resisting the urge to fidget he replies quietly, “Would you like me to attempt to summon him now?”</p>
<p>Warren glances around the room, the cheap blinds, the little crystals that dangle around the lights, the multitude of candles and incense that Eve brings every time, and shakes her head her expression bland and polite as she says, “No I’d prefer it at my house.”</p>
<p>Klaus bites his lip uncomfortable with the idea of a secondary location. He thinks again of men in suits and a dull interrogation room.</p>
<p>Mrs. Warren must notice his hesitation as she digs through her purse and pulls out a literal wad of cash. Klaus stares at it with wide eyes and she primly responds, like the cat that got the canary, “Five hundred now, the other half after.”</p>
<p>They could – they really need that money. Klaus has seen Maria bent over the bills late at night, trying to make ends meet; after Angel needed more money for college and one of their freezers broke. He doesn’t complain when the apartment’s cold, or when she skips on paying him for a few days. He understands, he does what he can to help.</p>
<p>The money could really help them, help Maria.</p>
<p>Klaus exhales, Ben standing beside him takes one look at his face and knows the decision he’s made, he says, “At least tell Allison.”</p>
<p>He nods and with a smile says, “I’d be happy to help Mrs. Warren. Is sometime this week alright?”</p>
<p>Her expression settles pleased and she nods, “Of course. Thank you so much, Klaus, I really do appreciate your help.”</p>
<p>“Happy to help,” Klaus replies without enthusiasm before continuing, “Just uh out of curiosity where did you hear about me?”</p>
<p>She smiles, showing her yellowing teeth, her lips, like bleached paper, folding around the teeth as with a twinkling eye she says, “We old women have our sources dear. Now, I will see you on Wednesday at 10 am here?”</p>
<p>“Sounds perfect,” Klaus responds rising to his feet as she does the same. He tucks the money into his pocket, ignoring the way her approving nod curdles like old milk in his stomach.</p>
<p>She leaves without another word, stepping into a car that is all chrome and sleek, a driver shutting the door behind her.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Maria questions gently.</p>
<p>He swallows digging the money out and presses it into Maria’s hands with a bright smile as he states, “Looks like I’ll be out on Wednesday for a séance. If I don’t come back please be very concerned.”</p>
<p>“Klaus, this is…” Maria trails off one hand hovering over her mouth before her eyes sharpen on Klaus and she says, “If you have a bad feeling about this chico, you should trust it.”</p>
<p>“I do – I just know…” He trails off with a shake of his head and a tight smile before he continues, “It’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t believe it. But at least he’ll be more prepared this time.</p>
<p>Maria’s expression is sad as she nods and tucks the money away, her eyes darting over her restaurant before she steps forward one hand patting Klaus’ jaw she says, “Be careful.”</p>
<p>“Me? Never,” Klaus jokes patting her hand with his own. She shakes his head but lets him off the hook to go wait tables.</p>
<p>Ben shakes his head but doesn’t comment as Klaus straightens his shoulders, he’ll – he’ll let Allison know and the others. Maybe she’s just a harmless old lady who wants to say goodbye, but Klaus can’t shake the feeling, like a kernel cooped up inside his chest, just waiting to pop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The same chromium car pulls up outside of <em>La Mesa</em> on Wednesday, looking out of place amidst the rusting and beat-up cars on the street. Klaus drains the last of his coffee watching the car for a long moment, his chest feels tight, a mix of anxiety and a few other nerves that he can't shake.</p>
<p>Maria studies the car with narrow eyes, her gaze flicks to Klaus and she says softly, “You come back to us.”</p>
<p>He rises to his feet slinging his bag over his shoulder and with a smile he doesn’t necessarily feel he replies, “I will. Ben will be looking out for me.”</p>
<p>Ben nods with a roll of his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest as he mutters, “As if that’s ever helped with anything.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t dignify that with a response. Okay, he sticks his tongue out at Ben, before flashing Maria a warm smile and stepping outside of the restaurant.</p>
<p>A driver is standing by the door, middle-aged, with greying sideburns, cloaked in a simple but well-cut suit. He inclines his head without a word, or even an expression beyond politeness, and opens the car door.</p>
<p>Mrs. Warren is inside the care delicately touching up her make-up. When she notices Klaus, a pleasant smile crosses her face, lighting up her eyes as Klaus settles on one of the comfortable chairs.</p>
<p>Warren tucks away her compact mirror, into a purse laced with gold thread, today she is wearing an all-red outfit, with a smile she asks, “Champagne?”</p>
<p>“Uh – no thanks,” Klaus responds hesitantly. Warren nods pouring herself a glass and holding it in one dainty hand as the streets roll outside the window.</p>
<p>“Do you need anything for the séance?” the woman questions, her nude lips pressed into a pleasant smile. The car smells overwhelmingly of flowers and Klaus itches to unroll the windows or to just get out.</p>
<p>Instead, he nods, “If you have something that belonged to Arnold that will make it easier.”</p>
<p>She nods raising one brow as she continues, “Is there anything else you need?”</p>
<p>“A description or a photo usually helps,” Klaus adds rubbing at the skin of his inner arm before he realises he’s doing it and forces himself to stop. Ben beside him is staring out the window glancing every few seconds at Klaus with narrow eyes.</p>
<p>Mrs. Warren nods taking a sip of her champagne, the movement casting and reflecting light off her jewelled rings as she says, “I have a photo of him here,” she reaches into her purse and pulls out a glossy photo of a man on the cusp of elderly, with white hair, a square jaw, and watery blue eyes, “Will that be enough?”</p>
<p>Klaus nods studying the photo a moment longer before he hands it back to Warren. She nods, tucking the photo back into her purse before she continues, “Have you always been able to speak with the dead Klaus?”</p>
<p>“As long as I can remember,” Klaus replies carefully.</p>
<p>“That must have been dreadful, to be so young,” Mrs. Warren replies, sympathy carefully placed on her face as she tilts her head, her brown eyes seem stark surrounded by the white of her sclera as she continues, “Are you able to do anything else? I heard rumours about ‘manifestation’?”</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs noting that they’ve left the city proper as he replies, “Of a sort. I can usually make a spirit solid for a bit.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Warren nods a smile settling on her lips as she says, her voice thick with something like worship, “It’s such a precious gift you have.”</p>
<p>Ben’s eyes are wide and his hands are clenched into fists beside him. Klaus swallows but doesn’t reply, he forces himself not to scream about what a ‘gift’ his powers are. Hours spent locked in mausoleums, the dead rotting, decomposing, screaming all hours of the day.</p>
<p>Before Warren can say anything else, the car pulls to a smooth stop.</p>
<p>Klaus glances out the window, past rolling green fields, a long driveway upon which he can distantly see a road. The door creaks open and the driver offers a hand to Mrs. Warren who sets her champagne glass down and steps out of the car and onto the pavement, unmarked and new.</p>
<p>He follows her out of the car and stares up at the house, it is sprawling, a mansion of white stucco with ornate arches and beams, windows which glint like diamonds decorating its front. Around the house, the grass blooms verdant and green, shrubs and trees forming a garden.</p>
<p>Warren smiles, pleased, and says, “Albert built it for me. Come along, there will be tea in the parlour and then we can begin.”</p>
<p>Klaus glances once more at the house before tipping his head to the driver and following Warren through the door. The foyer is ornate, polished tile and gleaming furniture, she leads him through it, her shoes still on so Klaus follows her example, and into a parlour room.</p>
<p>The walls are a pale green and the furniture soft creams and mint. Warren settles on one of the chairs, her purse on the table, as Klaus hovers awkwardly by the door. The whole room smells like expensive perfume and Klaus catches sight of vases of dried flowers on the mantle.</p>
<p>“Sir down dear,” Mrs. Warren says gesturing at a pristine white couch; he feels as if just sitting on it will dirty it.</p>
<p>Klaus nods and settles on the edge of the couch, his hands settling in his lap as Warren reaches over and rings a bell. A woman in a blouse and a skirt enters carrying a plate loaded with cookies and mugs of tea appears a moment later.</p>
<p>She studies Klaus out of the corner of her eyes as she settles the plate on the table before asking, “Is there anything else ma’am?”</p>
<p>“That will be all for now,” Warren replies with a dismissive wave of her hand. The woman nods and with a last glance at Klaus ducks out of the room leaving the two, technically three, of them alone.</p>
<p>“Tea?” Warren asks and Klaus nods accepting the dainty teacup decorated with swirls of royal blue on the side.</p>
<p>There is silence for a moment as Klaus takes a sip of the tea before Warren asks, “Shall we being?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Klaus replies forcing himself to exhale slowly before he closes his eyes and lets himself drift into the <em>other</em>. He holds the picture of Albert? Arnold – in his mind until he finds the spirit.</p>
<p>Arnold was a tall man, towering above Klaus, with an imposing set to his shoulders and a general air of displeasure. He stares down at Klaus with a raised brow before he notices his wife; his hard expression melts away.</p>
<p>Klaus inhales and focuses on materializing the spirit, watching as a faint blue light dapples across the floor and Mrs. Warren gasps one hand covering her mouth. Klaus smiles tentatively and says, “I’ll just uh give you two a few minutes.”</p>
<p>He beats a hasty retreat to the hallway, itching for a cigarette as Ben hovers beside him and says, “I’m still unsure about this.”</p>
<p>“You and me both,” Klaus says quietly rubbing his fingers over the palm of his hands, he should probably get a touch up soon.</p>
<p>He’s tempted to bolt now, but he should at least see it through. Think of the money he tells himself.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Mrs. Warren’s voice flits into the hallway.</p>
<p>Klaus’ shoulders slump but he turns and enters the room where Arnold is sitting beside his wife on the couch, his hand clasped with hers. He hovers awkwardly before the two of them until Mrs. Warren, her eyes alight from within says, “Thank you, Klaus. This really is wonderful.”</p>
<p>“Thank you for your help young man,” Arnold adds with a sharp nod, he strikes Klaus as the kind of man who was likely in the military.</p>
<p>Mrs. Warren nods and before Klaus can continue, she asks, “Klaus have you ever read the book <em>Communications with the Deceased </em>by M. Blige?”</p>
<p>He shakes his head, though in truth he might have many years ago when dear old dad thought it might help with his training. Neither the athames nor the candles or tarot cards helped.</p>
<p>“Well, you see Klaus there’s a passage I’ve always found fascinating. For one like yourself, so well connected to the spirit world, it was apparently possible for a spirit to possess someone like you. Has that ever happened?” Warren asks leaning forward, her pupils are washed out and her nude lips curl around her yellowed teeth.</p>
<p>“Can’t say I’ve tried it,” Klaus says hands hovering behind his back and Ben tenses beside him.</p>
<p>Warren nods, “Well there is a first time for everything isn’t there, dear?”</p>
<p>Klaus opens his mouth to respond when suddenly Arnold’s spirit hovers in front of him. He stares into Klaus’ eyes and with a mildly apologetic smile says, “I am sorry about this son.”</p>
<p>Then he steps forward.</p>
<p>Instead of stepping through Klaus, he steps into him.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Klaus isn’t in control anymore, his body jerking and twitching. He can’t breathe, someone else is doing it for him. It’s as if he’s been pressed into the ground, laid out in the mausoleum. He tries to will his arms to move, but they don’t.</p>
<p>He can only watch out of his eyes as his shoulders roll and feel as his lips quirk into a smile, his voice but wrong, he doesn’t sound like that, says, “Well, this is definitely better than arthritis.”</p>
<p> “How does he fit?” Warren asks rising to her feet, her eyes are wide and her chest rises and falls rapidly.</p>
<p>Klaus tries to scream, tries to call for help. He can see Ben staring in abject horror, though Arnold for whatever reason hasn’t noticed him; perhaps his powers don’t work that way? Arnold smiles and steps forward wrapping Klaus’ arms around Warren he smiles and says, “Like a glove.”</p>
<p>He pushes and pushes, with all his energy, all his will. He tries to drift into the<em> other</em> to at least get out.</p>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>His body moves without his control following Warren through the house. Klaus watches, trapped.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Surprise! I hope you all weren't too shocked by this turn of events. I really wanted to address how the show handles possession (badly) while still keeping some aspects of it in the story. Oh also the name Warren was chosen randomly, it has nothing to do with the elections. Comments are always appreciated, till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, I am here with the next chapter and the second last one. A huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter. Mild warnings for death in this chapter. Read on and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus watches and watches.</p>
<p>He watches as Warren fixes her makeup in the mirror of her vanity, his body hovers in a chair, stiff, as if unused to life. Watching. She smiles in the mirror, her nude lips curving around her yellow teeth as she asks, “Breakfast?”</p>
<p>Klaus feels his lips curl up into an easy smile, it is not his smile. He wants to scream, wants to rage, but at some point, he went quiet and still. Waiting, watching, for something. He’s not sure what yet.</p>
<p>His body rises to its feet, shaking out its limbs and stretching in clothing that isn’t Klaus’. It smells faintly of cologne, of newspapers, and cigars. Mrs. Warren rises to her feet tucking her robe about her body before she steps out of the room. His body follows behind her, his steps too heavy and the stride cut short and wobbly as it follows her down the stairs.</p>
<p>Klaus catches sight of the kitchen glinting monotone white before his body steps into a dining room. Sunlight attempts to stream into the room but it is faint, blockaded by the heavy curtains. The wood of the table is dark and the food upon it seems artificial, like something out of a commercial.</p>
<p>His body settles at the table beside Warren, a hand reaches out for a cup of coffee, without sugar or milk, and takes a sip. Klaus can’t taste the bitter liquid, but he can faintly feel the heat of it and the way the muscles of his face scrunch up.</p>
<p>“Not to your liking dear?” Mrs. Warren asks amusement plain on her features as she slathers a croissant with an excess of jam, the knife sweeping and tearing at the soft bread.</p>
<p>He feels his head nod and his mouth opens, “Different taste buds I suppose.”</p>
<p>Warren nods again humming faintly under her breath, there is a stillness to the room disturbed not even by the ticking of a clock. It is interrupted every so often by his fingers tapping against the mug and Mrs. Warren chewing, the sound noisy in the quiet.</p>
<p>“How long do you think I’ll be able to stay?” The voice which is his but not, asks reaching out for a piece of bacon.</p>
<p>Warren hums under her breath, dabbing delicately at her mouth she levels his body with a flat gaze and says, “I imagine as long as you want. He hasn’t managed to throw you out yet has he?”</p>
<p>That sinks something inside of Klaus, where whatever is left of him is pressed, as if into too small a space. It is a desperate thing, like that of an animal trapped attempting to escape in the face of danger.</p>
<p>Could he be trapped forever?</p>
<p>Would he just fade?</p>
<p>Ben is hovering by the doorway, looking more wraith-like than ever, he is almost translucent letting the tacky wallpaper show through him. He is staring at Klaus’ body with a grim expression, something almost determined to it.</p>
<p>“I suppose you’re right as always my dear,” His voice responds and it is all wrong, so wrong.</p>
<p>Klaus can’t – he can’t just give up, can’t let this happen. He has people waiting for him, friends and family that need him, he – he doesn’t want to disappear, doesn’t want to die, not yet.</p>
<p>From somewhere, perhaps within, Klaus finds the energy once more and pushes.</p>
<p>It is like pushing against the tide which has pulled back suddenly and now rushes forward once more to swallow the ocean’s bed, it is as if Klaus is pushing against all of the night sky. Still, for a brief moment he slips into place, feels the air settling in his lungs, the bitter taste of coffee lingering on his tongue.</p>
<p>Then, he is once move shoved away, out of his own body.</p>
<p>He screams, in whatever form he is in, he screams. It tears from within him, anguish scorching and scalding him as his lips curve into a smile and his voice placates, “It’s nothing dear. Your little comment appears to have woken him.”</p>
<p>Klaus rages as he has never raged before. This is not someone stealing his stash, or even taking something they shouldn’t, this is not ignoring his existence or his pain. It’s a violation of his very self.</p>
<p>He pushes once more, his anger buoying beneath his skin and his attempts. The sea looms as tall as ever, threatening to swallow him whole, but still Klaus pushes attempting to force Arnold out of his body.</p>
<p>For another moment, he has his own skin once more.</p>
<p>Then Arnold rushes back. They grapple this time; Klaus does not allow him to take control.</p>
<p>This is his body; he’s not going to let some millionaire old man take over his body. Ben as if noticing his struggle steps forward, suddenly decisive, and launches himself at Klaus, knocking Arnold out of his body.</p>
<p>The chair clatters to the ground as Klaus stumbles backwards, in control of his own body, though he can feel Ben there, as if two pieces of rope bound together. His chest rises and falls rapidly desperately searching for air, and his hands twitch, the sensation is sweet as water on a burn.</p>
<p>Arnold’s spirit hovers in front of him and behind the spirit, Klaus can see Warren studying him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>A wind begins to whip throughout the room, it tears at the heavy curtains flooding the room with light, washing out Warren and shining through Arnold’s body. He takes a step forward and a wordless sound slips from Klaus’ mouth.</p>
<p>He can’t breathe.</p>
<p>His hands are glowing, filling the room with blue light, the cutlery is beginning to dance on the air, the very house is beginning to creak and groan around them, Klaus himself hovers a few feet off the ground. Arnold takes another step forward his face set in an intense frown.</p>
<p>Distantly, Klaus can hear someone calling his name.</p>
<p>He reaches out, the glow has travelled up his arms writhing around his body, it extends wrapping around Arnold, Klaus grins and the words finally free themselves from his mouth, “Say hi to Satan for me, won’t you?”</p>
<p>Klaus clenches his fist and with a hoarse yell, Arnold’s spirit disappears.</p>
<p>Warren is screaming, shrill and high pitched, her eyes are wide, the white of her sclera stark. Klaus shudders a mix of sense-memory and shock and flings his hand. The cutlery floating through the air finds a new target.</p>
<p>He slumps to the ground and with it the wind dies and everything falls still.</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben says, he opens his eyes blearily, but Ben is – is still inside him. Klaus exhales roughly focusing on Ben and giving him a little nudge. That’s all it takes for Ben to manifest in front of him leaving Klaus feeling strange, not quite incomplete, but almost like he’s chipped, missing a tiny piece.</p>
<p>Ben crouches in front of him and Klaus dully realises he is sobbing, his whole body shaking with the motion and the tears burning his eyes. He rubs at the tears, the sensation of skin touching skin strange, almost but not quite wrong.</p>
<p>Across from him, Ben makes a sharp pained sound and reaches out to comfort Klaus.</p>
<p>His body flinches back. Ben makes another sound, something high and hurting but drops his hand watching as Klaus tucks his knees into his chest and continues to sob taking each gasping breath and holding it close to his chest.</p>
<p>He’s not sure how long he stays like that when the door to the dining room swings open.</p>
<p>It’s the woman from the night before, she hovers in the doorway, her eyes trailing over the scene, Klaus collapsed and sobbing, Warren pinned to the ground, her blood pooling on the floor. She gasps, her hand covering her mouth for a long moment before she turns to Klaus and asks gently, “Did you do this?”</p>
<p>He tries to respond, tries to force something like words past his lips but all that comes out is a keening sound. Her expression is torn flicking between Warren and Klaus for a long moment before she crouches beside him and offers a hand, “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”</p>
<p>Klaus stares at her with wide unseeing eyes for a long moment before he reaches out. He flinches when his hand touches hers but she doesn’t comment just helps pull him to his feet.</p>
<p>He gasps out, “Why?”</p>
<p>She shrugs leading him through the expansive house, the vases worth thousands, paintings so expensive it feels as if one should be paying to look at them, and plush carpet into a garage. The garage is huge, cars in nearly all shapes and sizes lurk like slumbering beasts as the woman directs him to a small buggy and replies, “It was a job. ‘Sides no one will believe that I didn’t do it anyway.”</p>
<p>The woman glances down at her own dark skin with a pinched expression before she shakes her head and says, “Get in, I’ll drop you off somewhere. Just give me a minute.”</p>
<p>Before Klaus can protest, she is gone leaving him alone with the buggy, it’s dark green. He slips into the passenger seat and glances at the mirror to see Ben in the back his expression is closed off, the way it gets when he’s dealing with too many things at once.</p>
<p>He feels calmer now. Not fine, he doesn’t think he’ll be fine for a while. But right now, he’s passed beyond hysteria into a calm that isn’t really calm. He’ll have a breakdown later.</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Ben says his name softly, lingering open-ended.</p>
<p>He shakes his head flexing his fingers and watching them move in the half-dark car. He feels overwhelmed, sensation suddenly sliding into place, along with a feeling of <em>wrong</em> so pervasive he can’t blink without it surging up, like bile.</p>
<p>“Later,” He murmurs the word short and choppy on his tongue.</p>
<p>The car door cranks open and the woman slides into the back, she has a sack with her which rustles and clinks. He raises a brow and she just shrugs turning the key in the engine as the garage doors shudder open.</p>
<p>The radio starts to play, something slow and jazzy, Klaus leans his head against the window and focuses on taking deep breaths. The car pulls down the long driveway in silence but for the rumble over the road before the woman says, “I’m Jasmine.”</p>
<p>“Klaus,” He responds savouring the taste of his name on his tongue.</p>
<p>Jasmine nods the car picking up speed before she continues, “Dallas is fine?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Klaus responds watching as fields of golden wheat stretch out before him. She just nods her hands on the wheel and doesn’t speak again. Klaus appreciates it.</p>
<p>They enter Dallas proper; the buildings seem to rise as if out of the dust, around them, a mix of old brick and siding, and new office buildings all cluttered together. She pulls up on the main strip and says, “Here we are.”</p>
<p>Klaus pushes the door open and with a weak smile says, “Thanks, good luck.”</p>
<p>She nods, the door shuts with a slam and the car peels off down the street. Klaus watches for a long moment, growing steadily aware of the pervasive chill, he turns and wanders down the main street until he finds the proper side one.</p>
<p><em>La Mesa</em> looks the same as it always does, it’s only early in the afternoon and the sign is bright and like a beacon welcoming him home. Klaus exhales and pushes the door open stepping inside.</p>
<p>Maria notices him near instantly, worry splashing across her face before she’s in front of him and folding him into a hug. Klaus goes tense before the familiar smell of rosemary and the restaurant settle him.</p>
<p>She pulls back a moment later to study him, her expression tinged with sadness she shakes her head and says, “Tell me later chico, go home, call your sister. I will see you tonight.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods lets her pull him into another hug still feeling numb, not comfortably numb, just numb. He turns and exits <em>La Mesa</em>, his feet guiding him where his mind will not to the apartment block. He pauses outside near the payphone and dials up the shop’s number.</p>
<p>“Hello?” A voice says, high and feminine.</p>
<p>“Could you take a message for Allison please?” Klaus croaks glancing at his surroundings and wishing to hideaway beneath the covers. He sees a few ghosts milling about the street and can’t quite stop the way his breath hitches in his chest.</p>
<p>If – if any ghost is able to possess him…</p>
<p>“Of course, dear, go ahead,” The woman on the other ends responds.</p>
<p>“Just uh tell her, um that her brother is back. If she could come over, I’d appreciate it,” Klaus says stumbling over the words and glancing once more at his surroundings.</p>
<p>“I’ll do that,” The woman responds and with a click, the line goes dead.</p>
<p>Klaus exhales scrubbing a hand over his face, he can feel the thin veneer of calm beginning to fall away as he trudges up the stairs and enters the apartment. Ben watches him with concern as his breath gets shakier and he shucks his clothes stepping into the washroom.</p>
<p>The water is ice cold and it shocks him as he begins to methodically scrub his body clean as if it might erase the feeling of <em>wrongness</em> left by Arnold. He shivers and turns the heat up scrubbing at his skin until it is raw and he can’t feel the tears on his cheeks or the way his body shakes.</p>
<p>There’s a knock on the door, he hears it distantly through the water and turns it off shrugging into his clothes.</p>
<p>The door opens a moment later just as Klaus steps out of the bathroom catching sight of Allison, whose eyes go wide. She murmurs softly, “Oh Klaus,” and then folds him into a hug. Klaus rests his face in her shoulder and lets the calm fall away at last.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, run this by me again, what are we doing?” Klaus questions leaning back on the wooden chair in the storeroom.</p>
<p>Across from him, Allison is sitting with a few sheets of paper on the table in front of her and Ben is visible, sitting in the other chair, though Klaus hasn’t bothered to materialize him. His sister smiles, one of her gentler ones and signs, “Listen, Klaus, your new power, you’re never going to be comfortable with it unless you train it.”</p>
<p>“I see where this is going and let the record state, I don’t like it,” Klaus retorts crossing his arms over his chest.</p>
<p>Ben rolls his eyes but its Allison who continues and signs, “Who better to train with than Ben? I’ll be here the whole time Klaus in case something goes wrong.”</p>
<p>Klaus considers it for a long moment. They’ve postponed any scheduled seances, he can barely even look at Ben these days much less touch him, not to mention the regular ghosts that hang about. It’s stupid, Klaus knows it is, that he’s afraid of Ben possessing him, of Ben refusing to leave. Ben wouldn’t do that.</p>
<p>But he can’t shake the thought, what if it's permanent? What if one time, Ben or another ghost won’t leave and he’ll be stuck, pressed into that <em>wrong</em> watching as someone moves his body.</p>
<p>Allison reaches out lacing her hand over his, her expression is understanding as she signs slowly, “We don’t have to do this Klaus.”</p>
<p>He likes the name sign she picked for him, it’s the word for ghost and it wriggles into the air to finish. For Allison she chose secret and for Ben they just sign a B.</p>
<p>“No, but we should,” Klaus replies hesitantly before glancing at Ben.</p>
<p>Ben stares across the table at him, staring into his eyes for a long moment before he shakes his head, “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to Klaus.”</p>
<p>He nods, his mouth feels dry and his hands shaky but he nods anyway and says, “Alright let’s try it. What did you have in mind?”</p>
<p>Allison smiles, her expression kind before she bobs her head and signs, “I was thinking, Ben could try and posses you and you could try to expel him? Practising that of course, but I’m not an expert on your powers Klaus.”</p>
<p>“I – we can try that,” Klaus settles with glancing at Ben who is studying him, his expression is a little bit blank but Klaus knows that means Ben is either pensive or excited. Could be either, Klaus doesn’t blame him.</p>
<p>Ben rises to his feet pausing in front of Klaus who turns to face him, he watches as Ben’s expression twists into a frown for a long moment. Klaus nods forcing half a smile on his face and Ben, clearly seeing through it, just nods and steps forward.</p>
<p>This is gentler than Arnold, or what happened in the kitchen. Less a towering wave and more a calm lake lapping at the shore, Klaus can tell that if he pushed Ben would stop, but he lets him.</p>
<p>There’s a moment, like a spinning top about to stop, where it could go either way before Ben slips forward and suddenly Klaus is once more in that compressed space, in the <em>wrong</em>. Ben tilt’s Klaus’ head shuddering as Allison watches his body and signs, “Ben?”</p>
<p>His head nods and his voice is soft when it slips from Klaus’ mouth unbidden, “Yes, this is – is very strange.”</p>
<p>It must be, after being dead for so long.</p>
<p>Allison nods a wash of emotions passing over her face before she bites her lip and signs, “Alright, Klaus if you can hear me, try taking control back.”</p>
<p>Klaus takes a moment to translate before he gathers what energy he can and pushes. Fighting water is a strange sensation, Ben grapples with him for a moment before he subsides, not leaving Klaus’ body, instead allowing Klaus control.</p>
<p>“Klaus?” Allison signs and he nods, she smiles encouragingly before her hands continue, “Is Ben still in there?”</p>
<p>He nods again focusing almost desperately on the sensation of his breathing as Allison continues, “Can he leave if he wants to?”</p>
<p>Klaus thinks, “Ben?”</p>
<p>In return, he hears, “I’ll try.”</p>
<p>There’s a strange sensation, like ice melting and separating and suddenly Ben is standing beside him, staring at him with wide eyes. Klaus focuses just enough to make Ben visible before he goes back to focusing on his breathing and rubbing one of his hands over the denim of his jeans.</p>
<p>He distantly hears himself ask, “What was it like – for you?”</p>
<p>Ben’s expression twists and his hands come up in front of him as he speaks, “It was like – like burning, like too much light. When I wasn’t in – control… it was like it was cold again, but it wasn’t painful, I could see and hear, but couldn’t do anything.”</p>
<p>“What’s it like for you, Klaus?” Allison signs her face screwed up in concern as she watches him count breaths.</p>
<p>He takes a moment to process the question before he replies, “It’s like – like I’m in a box that’s too small. And I can’t look away, I have to watch, can only watch.”</p>
<p>“Klaus,” Allison signs his name sign as if it might stop it from being so fucked up before she continues, “We don’t have to practice.”</p>
<p>“We do,” Klaus responds dully, picking at a thread before he continues, “Because it might not be Ben next time. I – I need to be able to stop it.”</p>
<p>Ben and Allison share a glance before Ben nods stepping in front of Klaus, he raises a brow. Klaus exhales and nods.</p>
<p>This time, he doesn’t let Ben in. He fights him off, it’s like Ben is water rushing forth attempting to cover him, to drown him. Klaus becomes fire he burns bright, as sunlight, as the sun itself, evaporating the water until there’s naught but steam.</p>
<p>He opens his eyes rocking back into the chair with a hoarse inhale as Ben stumbles back eyes wide.</p>
<p>“That was uh interesting to watch,” Allison interjects her hands hovering to hide a smile before continuing, “Sort of like a mime routine.”</p>
<p>Klaus rolls his eyes counting breaths and reaching up to run his fingers over the cool metal of Dave’s dog tags. Ben watches for a long minute as Klaus composed himself before he straightens his shoulders and says, “Again.”</p>
<p>Ben’s face twists but he nods and surges forward.</p>
<p>Klaus tries to fight him off at the offset, but this time Ben gives it all he has and Klaus is forced to let him in. They grapple for control then, and it is as if two snakes were fighting, they slide against each other, forms imperceptible, teeth-gnashing, and claws slashing.</p>
<p>He throws Ben out with a faint <em>bang</em>, the very air popping with tension as Ben crashes into the far wall. The lights flicker and the wind, which had suddenly invaded the room, dies down.</p>
<p>Allison raises a brow studying Klaus for a long moment before she smiles and signs, “I think that was better. How about a short break?” Klaus nods and Ben slumps into a seat with a groan of agreement. Allison shakes her head and continues her hands flitting confidently through the motions, “I’ll get us some drinks.”</p>
<p>Without another word, she darts out of the backroom leaving the two of them alone.</p>
<p>“This sucks,” Klaus groans into the table, inhaling the faint lemony scent of a cleaner and beyond that his most recent incense.</p>
<p>Ben groans aloud in agreement and mumbles, “I’m dead, this shouldn’t hurt so much.”</p>
<p>Klaus takes some small bit of satisfaction in that. He rolls his head, so he’s not breathing in lemon freshness, and comments, “Do you think if when I drift, ghosts can possess my body? Cause – because that would really suck.”</p>
<p>Ben picks his head up for a long moment staring at Klaus before he says roughly, “We could try?”</p>
<p>Klaus shrugs and says, “Might as well. More nightmare fuel either way.”</p>
<p>Closing his eyes, Klaus let’s himself sink into the<em> other</em>, it’s almost easier now. He lets himself drift. When he opens his eyes, staring at his body slumped in the seat he turns to Ben who rises slowly.</p>
<p>They share a long glance before Ben steps forward.</p>
<p>Klaus’ body jerks awake gasping for breath and staring around the room with wide eyes before landing on Klaus he says, “Klaus?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Klaus says quietly in understanding, watching as his own body rises to its feet with a strange sort of dissonance, he adds, “I guess the 11-minute rule doesn’t apply anymore huh?”</p>
<p>His face furrows, the expression not quite his as he responds, “I wouldn’t extend it too much. You could get lost.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods taking a step forward he says, “I’m going to try and renter my body okay?”</p>
<p>Ben nods and Klaus steps forward.</p>
<p>There’s resistance, except this time Klaus is the outside force trying to get in. But this is his body, and Ben no matter how much of a fight he puts up can’t keep Klaus out. With a final push, he throws Ben out, the two them collapsing and panting for breath.</p>
<p>Klaus feels exhausted as if he’s been summoning spirits all day or levitating heavy objects. Ben collapsed in the chair looks equally exhausted, its weird that ghosts can get exhausted, even as he says, “You can’t leave unless you do it, beforehand right?”</p>
<p>He nods scrubbing a hand over his face he decides, “If I leave my body, you’ll watch over it for me?”</p>
<p>Ben’s expression flip flops a few times, something excited and hopeful, wary and cautious, before settling on something open, “Yeah of course Klaus.”</p>
<p>“Cool,” Klaus waves a hand before continuing, “We’ll set up ground rules later.”</p>
<p>The door to the backroom open bearing with it, Allison and a tray of drinks. She sets a steaming mug of hot cocoa in front of Klaus and he reaches out to snatch it, holding it close to his chest and focusing on the feeling of warmth seeping into his chest.</p>
<p>Allison shakes her head before with a pause, signs spelling out the name, “Someone called looking for you, uh Elliot, I think. He said someone else arrived.”</p>
<p>Klaus almost drops his mug, instead, he settles it on the table and grins, practically beams at Allison who still looks a little lost, Klaus laughs and explains, “The alleyway, he watches the alleyway.”</p>
<p>Her face lights up with understanding as Klaus rises to his feet and rushes towards the door, idly he mourns his abandoned hot chocolate, even as Allison follows behind him; one of their siblings are here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s raining, and they’re practically soaked as they stumble into the electronics store. It isn’t quite as busy as it was the first time Klaus entered, but tvs still cast the room in a myriad of light and fill the background with the faint sound of conversation.</p>
<p>Elliot must have heard them come in because he appears from the top floor beaming down at Klaus he says, “You came!”</p>
<p>“Couldn’t miss it,” Klaus replies trying not to let quite how exhausted he is show through. Elliot looks nearly the same as the last time Klaus saw him as he rounds the stairs, though he’s grown the shadow of a beard, and he looks a little less put together.</p>
<p>He grins his eyes flicking to Allison before back to Klaus he grins and says, “This is my sister, Allison.”</p>
<p>She smiles, one of her movie star smiles, and signs, Klaus watches and translates with a grin, “Lovely alleyway you have there.”</p>
<p>Elliot brightens looking a moment away from clapping his hands together as he says, “Oh, you’re one of them.”</p>
<p>Allison shares a look with Klaus, he decides to ignore it, instead asking, “You said someone else arrived?”</p>
<p>“Oh yes!” Elliot responds his shoulders bouncing before he continues, “I uh invited him in for tea. You’re both welcome to come and see.”</p>
<p>“Please,” Klaus says with a tilt of his head and a lazy smile, Allison rolls her eyes but she looks equally excited at the prospect of one of their siblings appearing. Elliot nods turning and leading the way as he whistles under his breath.</p>
<p>The stairs open up onto an apartment cluttered with packed boxes and wrappers, Elliot glances over the mess, his shoulders dropping as he says, “Don’t mind the mess. My wife uh left me.”</p>
<p>Allison’s expression twists into sympathy even as Elliot doesn’t let it bother him for long leading them into what serves as the living room. There’s a ratty couch, and sitting on that ratty couch is Luther.</p>
<p>He shoots to his feet, the ratty couch protesting the sudden movement as Luther breathes, “Allison,” and then as an afterthought, “Klaus.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Klaus waves his fingers trying to disperse the tension that’s suddenly swamped the room.</p>
<p>Elliot, also having noticed, says quietly, “I’ll go uh make some tea,” and flees into the nearby kitchen.</p>
<p>Luther finally seems to gather the wits he’s spilt on the floor and asks, “How long – uh how long have you guys been here?”</p>
<p>“Something like nine months,” Allison signs and Klaus translated with a shrug still staring at Luther. He stares at her, at her neck for a long moment, something burning behind his eyes before it’s gone again.</p>
<p>Ben behind the two of them rolls his eyes and Klaus pretends to gag before Allison catches him and he replies, “Year and a half maybe.”</p>
<p>Luther nods his expression serious, the one he pulls when he’s trying to be a leader, as he asks, “You haven’t heard from anyone else?”</p>
<p>“Ben’s here too,” Klaus adds with a shrug settling in an armchair.</p>
<p>“Klaus, we don’t have time for your-,” Luther begins only to trail off as Klaus’ hands start to glow a pale blue and Ben is suddenly visible sitting on the couch and staring at Luther with a raised brow. There’s something angry to Ben’s posture that Klaus recognises but doubts his siblings will.</p>
<p>“Ben,” Luther says his name carefully with all of the old heartache they buried in the backyard with Ben’s statue.</p>
<p>“Luther,” Ben replies and his voice is clipped, Allison’s eyes are wide but then again she’s escaped most of the brunt of Ben’s anger.</p>
<p>There’s a moment of silence where Luther’s expression twists, confusion and a few other emotions too quick to handle before he settles with, “It’s good to see you again.”</p>
<p>“Really? That’s all you’re going to say?” signs, her hands cutting through the motions as Klaus translates. She finishes her hands on her hip studying Luther with a disbelieving expression.</p>
<p>Luther shrugs surveying the three of them before he pulls his shoulders out of his sad monkey slump and says, “We can have a reunion later. Have you heard anything from Five? Or seen Vanya?”</p>
<p>“Nope, naughta, zip, zero, zilch dear brother of mine,” Klaus responds resting his hands behind his head. Ben rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything still watching Luther. Whose, expression twists into disappointment.</p>
<p>“We need to make a plan,” He says again attempting to be a leader, it's all he’s ever known the poor dude, “For when Vanya arrives.”</p>
<p>Klaus snorts and asks, “Oh are we locking her in a prison again? Because that went so well last time.”</p>
<p>Luther frowns and replies, “Look I made a mistake but Vanya’s dangerous.”</p>
<p>Allison’s hands snap viciously and Klaus frowns and translates, “Not any more dangerous than the rest of us. She’s just untrained. She needs support.”</p>
<p>Ben adds, “You’re not team leader anymore Luther, not here, you obviously don’t know what’s best for Vanya.”</p>
<p>Luther and Allison look slightly surprised at Ben’s outburst, Klaus just grins.</p>
<p>“And what Klaus is going to help?” Luther demands derision clear in his voice.</p>
<p>Klaus frowns but its Ben who rises to his feet to stand in front of Luther as he says, “Klaus is sober, in the last year he’s learned how to control his powers. So, yeah maybe he will have an idea on how to help Vanya.”</p>
<p>Allison frowns and signs, Klaus watches and says, “It doesn’t matter, Vanya isn’t even here yet.”</p>
<p>“She’s right,” Ben responds putting the anger away if only for a little bit.</p>
<p>Luther frowns his expression lost as he asks, “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”</p>
<p>Allison and Klaus exchange a look, silently agreeing that Luther is not staying with either of them. Klaus pauses remembering something Sasha said and supplies, “There are some spots open with the local construction crew and my friend knows a lodging place.”</p>
<p>Luther’s expression twists for a long moment but he knows he doesn’t have much of an option so he sighs and says, “Yeah alright.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! Next chapter is the last one, as much as I like this fic, it was written mostly out of spite and I, unfortunately, have a lot of things to work on. Anyways, comments are always appreciated, till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, we are here with the last chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who's commented and stuck by this story! This chapter is more of an epilogue, read on and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You come here an awful lot, don’t you?” The voice asks, young and yet still so familiar.</p>
<p>Klaus freezes for a long moment, his heart seizing in his chest as he turns to see Dave, so young, barely the man he once knew and nods, “It’s a nice place to have lunch.”</p>
<p>“Is that what you’re doing every week?” Dave questions sitting on the bench beside Klaus. It’s a beautiful day out, the clouds are a puffy white, the sky is that endless sort of blue, and the people that pass do so with good cheer. Klaus suddenly feels very cold.</p>
<p>“Have to get out of the restaurant on occasion,” Klaus replies with a shrug holding onto his calm with an iron will as he continues seeing Dave’s unspoken question, “I work at <em>La Mesa</em>, you probably haven’t been.”</p>
<p>Dave nods studying Klaus out of the corner of his eye he says, “Can’t say I have. Is the food good?”</p>
<p>“Some of the best,” Klaus agrees and it hurts to see this Dave, so young, so untouched by war, so close. From across the street and through the window of the hardware store, Klaus could restrain himself, could be fine with just watching. He continues, “How about you?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I work at the store there, my da owns it. That’s why I always see you here every week,” Dave responds and he’s so honest about it, so open.</p>
<p>Klaus nods glancing at the store in question before he asks, “And how do you like working there?”</p>
<p>Dave shrugs, “We get some pretty weird customers sometimes. But it’s alright.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods with a grin and says, “I get that, I’ve seen some pretty weird customers myself.”</p>
<p>Dave smiles and Klaus has to focus on his breathing ignoring the looks Ben is giving him where he’s leaning against a sign. Klaus knows that isn’t a good idea in the slightest, but he didn’t ask for Dave to come over now did he?</p>
<p>There’s silence for a moment as they both watch a few cars trundle past before Dave says, “I’m thinking of joining the army. Did you fight?”</p>
<p>For a moment, Klaus thinks of Dave, late at night in their tent, pressed so close that it was hard to tell where one of them began and the other ended. Speaking of their families, the expectations Dave felt, how he thought it might cure him, or at least he could die with honour.</p>
<p>Klaus just nods one hand wrapping subconsciously around his dog tags, he’s conscious of every word as he says, “Yeah I uh fought in Korea.”</p>
<p>Dave studies him for a long moment his expression still so young, hopeful and open, as he asks, “What was it like?”</p>
<p>He wonders if even this small conversation will somehow mess up the timeline, not that he’s not certain they already haven’t. Klaus shrugs itching for a cigarette as he responds, “I’m not going to lie. It’s hell. But you’ll meet some of the people who will probably become your best friends. The only problem is some of them will die and you might die yourself.”</p>
<p>Dave frowns his expression pensive and Klaus can tell there’s more that he wants to say, but Klaus is a stranger.</p>
<p>Eventually, Dave speaks, “Thanks. My uncle keeps telling me about the glory of it all, the honour. It sounds nice but I guess I haven’t really considered the rest of it.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods in understanding glancing away from the kid beside him he says, “It’s your choice, no one can make it for you, not really.”</p>
<p>Dave looks startled at that, staring at Klaus out of the corner of his eyes for a moment longer before he rubs a hand over the back of his head and says, “I should get back to work my break will be ending soon,” he rises to his feet staring at Klaus with a pensive expression before he continues, “Maybe next time I’ll catch you earlier on my break.”</p>
<p>“That’d be nice,” Klaus forces the words out with an easy smile before he adds, “Feel free to stop by <em>La Mesa</em>, you can try some real Mexican cuisine.”</p>
<p>Dave nods and with a final wave, he is gone, darting across the street and into the shop. Klaus exhales roughly and digs out his pack of cigarettes as Ben settles into the vacant seat beside him.</p>
<p>He lights up in silence inhaling and waiting till Ben says, “This isn’t a good idea Klaus.”</p>
<p>“I know that,” He replies smoke parting from his lips and disappearing into the pleasant day as he continues, “I didn’t ask for him to come over here.”</p>
<p>“But you didn’t shut him down,” Ben responds, not harshly, he’s seen Klaus in the aftermath of one too many nightmares to be harsh about this.</p>
<p>Klaus sighs taking another puff of the cigarette before he continues, “I couldn’t, you know? I won’t… I won’t say anything to him. But – if he doesn’t enroll, if he doesn’t die. That’d be for the best wouldn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Klaus, the way the timeline-,” Ben begins.</p>
<p>He interrupts, “It’s likely already been screwed up. As long as we stay away from dear old dad, we should be fine.”</p>
<p>Ben huffs but doesn’t respond, just leans his shoulder against Klaus’.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Klaus picks up the phone, leaning against the counter and watching over <em>La Mesa</em> as he says, “Hello, <em>La Mesa</em> how can we help you?”</p>
<p>“Could I speak to Klaus?” The woman on the other end of the line, Odessa Klaus thinks, says.</p>
<p>“Speaking.”</p>
<p>Odessa exhales and says, “Allison wanted me to call you. She says – she said your sister is here. Your other one? They’re at Elliot’s.”</p>
<p>Klaus freezes for one second before he scrubs a hand over his face and replies, “Right, thanks.”</p>
<p>The phone clicks dead and he drops it turning to Maria. She takes one look at his face and with a roll of her eyes says, “Go, we can handle ourselves fine.”</p>
<p>Klaus beams and plants a kiss on her cheek before he’s rushing out the door slinging his apron onto a waiting chair as Ben follows beside him. By now, he knows these streets and its easy to cut a path through side alleys and roundabouts until he’s on the main street just outside the electronics shop.</p>
<p>It’s gotten pretty run down as of late. Apparently, Elliot is devoting most of his time these days to conspiracy theories, Klaus kind of doesn’t blame him.</p>
<p>He shakes away the errant thought and pushes the door open stepping inside. Some of the tvs are still there packed away under sheets or in boxes but he pays them no mind as he makes his way up the stairs.</p>
<p>Allison must hear him as she appears at the top, today she’s in a purple dress which really brings out her complexion and the way her eyes are wide. She’s rubbing almost unconsciously at her neck and Klaus raises a brow signing, “Okay?”</p>
<p>She shrugs raising her hands in a ‘what can you do’ sort of way before leading him back into the apartment.</p>
<p>“Have you called Luther?” Klaus asks glancing idly at the board filled with pinned red string.</p>
<p>Allison shakes her head pausing in front of the closed door to the guest bedroom she signs, “Elliot,” the name sign is just the sign for weird, “went to get groceries. She’s still unconscious.”</p>
<p>Klaus nods following Allison inside.</p>
<p>The guest room is a bit cluttered with packed away boxes, but the bed is made and resting on top of it is Vanya still cloaked in her white suit. For a moment, Klaus can feel her basically sucking the life from him, the way the auditorium seemed to thrum with tension, her music drifting serenely above it all.</p>
<p>Then he shakes it away, Ben hovering by the bed and staring down at her with sad eyes.</p>
<p>Allison looks tired, leaning against the wall and staring at Vanya, her eyes are sad and she signs slowly, “What are we going to do?”</p>
<p>Klaus sits on the end of the bed staring at their sister, they might all be the same age but they all know Vanya is the youngest anyway, and replies, “We try to help her and try to prevent the world from ending again.”</p>
<p>“You make it sound easy,” Allison signs with a smile that is tight at the corners.</p>
<p>They wait in silence for twenty minutes. At one point, Elliot pops his head in, the beard is gone he looks better for it, and he offers to make tea before disappearing again leaving the four of them alone.</p>
<p>Around the half-hour mark, Vanya stirs.</p>
<p>They wait in a tense silence as she begins to shift and her eyes flicker, the room is quiet and perhaps that is a blessing of its own kind. Vanya opens her eyes, they are not the bone-white of the white violin, they are her normal brown and they are terrified.</p>
<p>Her gaze sweeps slowly around the room, first to Allison and then to Klaus she coughs before asking hesitantly, “Allison, Klaus?”</p>
<p>“Hey Vanya,” Klaus says gently, Allison comes to sit beside Vanya reaching out and taking one of her hands.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Vanya questions slowly glancing down at the white suit, there’s a slow dawning sense of horror beginning to slide across her face.</p>
<p>Allison glances to Klaus and he speaks, “We uh – after the whole end of the world thing, Five transported us all back in time. But we uh got separated? I’ve been here for what like two years now. You arrived today hooray!”</p>
<p>Vanya blinks processing that slowly before her hand’s fists in the blanket and she lets out a choked sound saying, “I did it – I destroyed the world.”</p>
<p>Ben is suddenly in front of Klaus, and he doesn’t need to look at Ben to know what he wants. He concentrates, his hands glowing a faint blue and then suddenly Ben is visible and Vanya is staring at him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>He kneels in front of Vanya reaching out and taking her hand he says, “Vanya it wasn’t your fault. The blame lies with Harold and with dad, he should have trained you properly, we all should have treated you better.”</p>
<p>Allison signs and Klaus says, “We have the chance to make things right again.”</p>
<p>Vanya glances over at Allison then and she nods, the scar over her neck has all but faded but Vanya’s always been a smart kid. She makes a sharp sound and Allison leans forward and wraps Vanya in a hug; she looks so tiny.</p>
<p>Klaus turns giving the two of them a minute of privacy he stares at his hands, at his tattoos and focuses on his breathing. A few minutes later, Vanya’s voice tentatively drifts from behind him, “Klaus?”</p>
<p>He turns to see Vanya; her eyes are red and Allison had helped her shuck off most of the suit and found a spare shirt for her. She has her knees tucked up to her chest but she looks better already as she asks, “You can translate for Allison, right?”</p>
<p>He nods and she studies her hands for a moment before saying softly, “You can manifest Ben now?”</p>
<p>“There’s a lot I can do,” Klaus says with a grin and then to show off a bit he says, “Watch this,” and levitates a cup of water from the bedside table into his hands. Vanya’s mouth drops open and she starts laughing as he waggles his brows.</p>
<p>It’s good to hear her laugh.</p>
<p>Allison signs her hands moving carefully and Klaus translates, “We’re going to take care of you, Vanya.”</p>
<p>They’re not going to leave her to fend for herself. Not this time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Happy birthday!” The crowd cheers and Klaus grins cheering with them as Jeremiah, now a rather rambunctious four-year-old grins toothily at them. It was supposed to be more of a private celebration but Klaus can count well over twenty people crammed into <em>La Mesa</em>.</p>
<p>He can see Sasha, Allison, and Ray, curled up together in a booth, Sasha watching as Maria helps feed Jeremiah with a smile on her face that’s as bright as the sun. Eve and Harini are chatting to Vanya and Lila, a girl Vanya met at her therapy sessions who seems nice enough (she shares cigarettes with Klaus, but they’re all rather suspicious and overprotective at the moment).</p>
<p>In the back, Luther, who looks only a tiny bit reluctant to be there, is talking to Angel, Maria’s son, and Nick, probably about fixing cars or the latest action movie. Diego, who dropped into the time stream last week, is grudgingly sitting at the bar as well, talking to Odessa and Anita about their latest campaign, another sit-in.</p>
<p>Klaus glances at Ben who is grinning at the piece of cake in front of him, even though Klaus is the one who’s going to eat it. He glances once more around <em>La Mesa</em>. Five is probably going to drop in any day and with him chaos and probably the threat of the world ending once again.</p>
<p>But for now, for now, Klaus has this, and it’s enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading! Well I understand a lot of you probably want a second part with Five and the whole apocalypse shebang, at this point I'm not going to be writing it, I don't have the motivation nor the willpower to deal with actual season 2. If anyone feels particularly inspired feel free to chat to me about it. Anyway, thank you all so much for sticking around and I hope you enjoyed this last chapter, thank you!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all for reading this first chapter, I have some pretty fun things planned for this fic, can't guarantee when things will come out as I'm working on a few other fics at the same time. Comments are always super appreciated, till next time!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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